The Grey Center for Medical Research.
The Grey Center for Medical Research is a well-funded, state-of-the-art medical research facility and lab located primarily within The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.[1] A satellite lab will be set up in Seattle, WA at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.[2] It was established by Dr. David Hamilton with the primary focus of curing Parkinson's disease. It is run by Dr. Meredith Grey.
History[]
Founded by Dr. David Hamilton sometime after the pandemic, the lab was established at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and funded by multiple grants, including one specifically for the lab's mRNA technology and its role in vaccine development, as well as treating various cancers. Its primary mission is to develop experimental surgery for Parkinson's disease with the hopes of creating a clinical trial to cure it.
The lab boasts state-of-the-art equipment and is staffed by experts trained in cellular therapy and quality control. However, in order to carry out its mission, the lab requires a surgeon to obtain FDA-approval to begin clinical trials. Despite being its founder and a surgeon himself, Hamilton could not be the lab's director, so he began courting Dr. Meredith Grey.
Because The Mayo Clinic was dedicating a research library to her late mother Dr. Ellis Grey, Hamilton used this opportunity to lure Grey to Rochester for the library's ribbon cutting. Upon her arrival and after the initial tour of lab, Hamilton revealed his intentions of having Grey run the lab because he would be its landmark case, as he, himself, has Parkinson's disease. Hamilton chose Grey because of her notoriety within the medical and scientific community as her name was synonymous to "cutting-edge" and would see projects "through the end", thereby increasing the lab's chance to win FDA-approval and attracting top talent to the lab. If successful, Grey would become the public face of a cure to a disease that's devastated millions.
Based on years of Japanese centers performing the procedure on mice, the lab's approach in curing Parkinson's would be turning skin cells into pluripotent stem cells, and then differentiating those into dopamine-producing brains cells which would then be injected into the brain. The procedure itself would require a neurosurgeon to be on staff.[1]
In order to weigh her options, Grey flew Dr. Amelia Shepherd to Rochester to examine Hamilton, evaluate the lab, and join the team. After Shepherd was introduced to Dr. Kai Bartley, the lab's neuroscientist [whom she already knew of as both she and they were at Hopkins], Shepherd agreed to be join the team as Bartley's groundbreaking stem cell research coupled with the lab's resources and team could impact Parkinson's and change the world. Grey, unfortunately, needed further reassurances as joining the team would impact the stability of her life, career, and family back in Seattle, WA. After additional conversations with Shepherd, Grey accepted the role as the lab's director under the following stipulations: her continued role at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as its head of general, autonomy in picking the team, any progress made to be shared and accessible to everyone with Parkinson's, a satellite office at Grey-Sloan in which they would share credit with The Mayo Clinic, and once a week travel between Seattle and Rochester.[2]
As both Grey and Shepherd would be splitting their time between Seattle and Rochester traveling weekly, they would retain their positions as heads of their respective surgical departments while communicating progress through teleconference to the team at Rochester. However, because of her limited time in Seattle, Grey had to give notice to Dr. Richard Webber regarding the residency program and transfer its leadership back to him. Meanwhile, after receiving the MRI scans of the latest mice group, Bartley requested Shepherd's presence for the next transplant group to troubleshoot the 74% efficacy of the transplanted cells, as they wanted to improve functionality by another 26%.[3]
With Grey having officially transferred the residency program to Webber, and committing to be in Rochester two-days of the week, Grey began her first day at The Grey Center.[4]
With Meredith ultimately not joining the Clinic's staff and taking a job in Boston,[5] as well as Dr. Bartley leaving for London,[6] the current workings of The Grey Center are unclear.
Equipment[]
Dr. Bartley and Dr. Shepherd using the state-of-the-art equipment at The Grey Center
The lab has a state-of-the-art cell-processing equipment including cell-selection devices, bioreactors, and cryopreservation and storage systems that allow the longevity of samples for at least 10 years. The lab also features two ISO Class 7 clean rooms.[1] Additionally, the lab has a robot arm that does cell cultures.[2]
Notable Staff[]
- Dr. David Hamilton (Founder and Staff General Surgeon)
- Dr. Meredith Grey (Lab Director and Staff General Surgeon)
- Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Staff Neurosurgeon)
- Dr. Kai Bartley (Lead Neuroscientist)
- Gavin Hawj (Research assistant)
- Dr. Tom Koracick (Consulting Neurosurgeon)[7]
Notes and Trivia[]
- Because both doctors Grey and Shepherd will be splitting their time between Rochester, MN and Seattle, WA, published findings will be credited to both the Mayo Clinic and Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.[4]
Appearances[]
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 18 | |||||
| #01 | "Here Comes the Sun" | #08 | "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | #15 | "Put It to the Test" |
| #02 | "Some Kind of Tomorrow" | #09 | "No Time to Die" | #16 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go" |
| #03 | "Hotter Than Hell" | #10 | "Living In a House Divided" | #17 | "I'll Cover You" |
| #04 | "With a Little Help From My Friends" | #11 | "Legacy" | #18 | "Stronger Than Hate" |
| #05 | "Bottle Up and Explode!" | #12 | "The Makings of You" | #19 | "Out for Blood" |
| #06 | "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" | #13 | "Put the Squeeze On Me" | #20 | "You Are the Blood" |
| #07 | "Today Was a Fairytale" | #14 | "Road Trippin'" | ||
References[]
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