THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY

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JOSHUA LEDERBERG January 14, 1988
PRESIDENT

PERSONAL

Dr. Guillermo Soberon
Minister of Health
National University of
Mexico :
Lieja No 7 ler Piso
Juares 06696
MEXICO

Dear Guillermo:

It was a pleasure to touch base with you again at our
meeting two years ago in Davos; and I have looked forward to
some further opportunities to be with you.

One is coming up: the Pew Trust Medical Research Scholars
Group is planning to meet in Ixtapa the week of March 5, 1989.
The meeting will comprise the scientific advisory board which
makes selection on the fellowships, and as well over forty of
the most brilliant medical scientists in the United States
carefully selected for the likelihood of their further
research accomplishments. They represent every medical
research center in our country and I've no doubt at all that
they will be the top leadership of the profession in the years
ahead.

The thought has been expressed that it would be desir—
able to broaden the outlook of these gifted people, which as
you know tends to become every more narrowly specialized in
molecular biology and related areas. That was one motive in
the decision to hold the next meeting in Mexico.

I had urged that Mexico City would be far more authentic
than Ixtapa but there were a number of logistical considerations
that won out in the final determination.

I'm writing to you now to ask two favors, one whether you
would be personally available and interested to address our
group at any time at your convenience in the interval from
March 6th through March 8th, 1989 in Ixtapa. We would be

Dr. Guillermo Soberon
January 14, 1988
Page -2-

delighted for you to spend as much time with us as you would
care to do and meet further with these very fine investigators.
The Pew Trust, which is one of the largest medical research
foundations in the world, will be happy of course to assume
any expenses and will provide a modest honorarium.

My second favor to ask of you is to suggest the names
of two or three other Mexican health scientists that you
think we could approach, or with whom it might even be thought
some of our group might arrange laboratory visits, perhaps on
route to or from Ixtapa.

Dr. Robert Berliner, the retired dean of Yale Medical
School and the director of the scholars' program asked me to
write you with this introduction. It would expedite matters
if you were able to reply directly back to him in New Haven
at: Pew Scholars Program

350 Congress Avenue (3E)
New Haven, Connecticut 06510-1402
Telephone number - 203 785-5583

_ You will not be surprised that, out of this large group
of investigators, only a very small handful have ever expressed
a direct interest in parasitic disease, or other conditions of
special concern to developing countries. Occasions like this
might be helpful in inspiring a greater interest in that set
of problems, and much more broadly in trying to forge still
more effective links between U.S. and Mexican research
institutions. So I do hope it will be possible for you to
reply favorably, and I would certainly look forward to an
opportunity to meet you once again.

Yours sincerely,

oghua Lederberg
Encs.