The J.I.M. interview. Purnell W. Choppin, MD.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is known worldwide for its support of high calibre research in the basic biomedical sciences. At present, 332 men and women at 72 institutions are HHMI investigators, putting them in the ranks of the best and the brightest (and certainly the most generously supported) researchers in America. But the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's portfolio goes well beyond its core program as a medical research organization. Purnell W. Choppin, MD, discussed the breadth of Hughes' activities during a recent interview in his office at the Institute's main campus in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a few blocks away from the National Institutes of Health. Among other things, Choppin talked about US medical schools, clinical research, postgraduate education, and HHMI support of research abroad.