A Brief History of the Jackson Field Center
The vision for the Jackson Field Center began in 1985 with Dr. Richard Hutchinson and Dr. Robert Watson. Dr. Hutchinson (Principal Investigator), Dr. Watson (Co-Principal Investigator), and Dr. Robert Smith (Co-Investigator) developed the competitive research proposal that resulted in the ARIC Field Center being established in Jackson at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). After leading the study for over 12 years, Dr. Hutchinson retired as Professor Emeritus. He continues to consult on ARIC and related studies at UMMC. Dr. Watson has retired, and worked on his farm in the country outside of Jackson until his death in 2009. Dr. Robert Smith is still active in his medical practice and promoting community endeavors in the Jackson area.
Dr. Thomas H. Mosley, Jr., assumed leadership of the Jackson Field Center in 2003. Dr. Mosley first began working with ARIC in 1993 under the mentorship of Dr. Hutchinson. Dr. Mosley is the Director of the Gertrude C. Ford Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Research Center (MIND Center) and has been successful extending previous work in ARIC with the ARIC Neurocognitive Study to study degenerative diseases of the brain associated with aging.
Over the 30 year history of the Jackson Field Center, a number of staff and investigators have worked with ARIC and made important contributions to the overall success of the study. With warm memories of each, we thank them for the hard work, loyalty, and dedication.
