From a medical researcher testing a stroke drug that uses bat saliva to a student trying to curb infant mortality, the best minds in Chattanooga are facing the future with resolve.

As the nation and region pulls itself out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, human capital will be needed to build the foundation for future prosperity.

We have history on our side. A map of Chattanooga in the 1930s (see cover) demonstrates how far the city has come in eight decades. By the end of the 21st Century, today’s city map may look just as quaint to future Chattanoogans.

In this section of Trends 2009, you will read about the teachers, artists, entrepreneurs and professionals who are in the vanguard of Chattanooga trendsetters.

For example, you’ll meet:

■ Markesha Dunham, a 17-year-old who dedicates her time to teaching teens and adults about infant mortality as part of the Girls Inc. IMPACT program.

■ Wade Hinkle, an online entrepreneur who moved to Chattanooga from Silicon Valley seven years ago and started his own Web site, Gamers Daily News.

■ Brent Page, an enthusiastic artist and musician, who often uses puppetry and piano music in the classroom as a kindergarten teacher at McBrien Elementary School.

■ Dr. Thomas Devlin, of Erlanger hospital, who says one of the most promising clinical trials for the treatment of stroke is a clot-busting drug, Desmoteplase, derived from the saliva of the vampire bat.