Over the last four decades, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has had an extremely significant and positive impact on the conduct of biomedical research.  Central to the Institute’s strategies has been the HHMI Investigator Program, which now supports more than 300 scientists and their teams in more than 70 institutions.  HHMI has learned to identify gifted and productive scientists, and then provides them with the resources needed to succeed in their areas of investigation.  Dr. Story Landis recently joined the Scientific Review Board, and participates in the review of Investigators and their teams.  This responsibility requires the capacity to assess individuals and programs, and insight into genuinely important scientific advance.