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Category Archives: Stem Cells

Pomeroy Moving On, Will Leave Stem Cell Board

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 8:00 am


Claire Pomeroy, one of the longtime
members of the governing board of the $3 billion California stem cell agency,
will be leaving her position at UC Davis and the stem cell board next
June.

Pomeroy yesterday announced her departure from Davis as vice chancellor for human health services and
dean of the medical school. In a telephone interview, she told the
California Stem Cell Report that she is examining a “few select
opportunities” to work at a national level on health reform and
health policy issues.
Claire Pomeroy
UC Davis photo
Pomeroy, 57, will be spending time in
Washington, D.C., working on health issues on behalf of the
University of California during the transition period before she
leaves her position in California.
Pomeroy came to UC Davis 10 years ago,
shortly before the Golden State's stem cell agency was created in
2004. At that time, UC Davis had what she called a “fledgling”
stem cell research effort. Today the school has chalked up $128 million in
grants from the stem cell agency, ranking fifth among institutions
funded by the agency.
She said that creation of the stem cell
agency “catalyzed development of our program,” which she said has
risen to “national prominence.”
Pomeroy's service on the stem cell
agency board was also instrumental in attracting a $100 million grant
from the Moore Foundation to start a new school of nursing at UC
Davis in 2009. Through her service on the board, she met Ed Penhoet,
who also served on the board and was one of the co-founders of Chiron
and then president of the Moore Foundation. Subsequently, Penhoet
called her for lunch to discuss her thoughts on nursing education,
and developments moved on from there.
The $100 million commitment was the
nation's largest grant for nursing education, according to the Moore Foundation.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/aS-PH9NtXbA/pomeroy-moving-on-will-leave-stem-cell.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on Pomeroy Moving On, Will Leave Stem Cell Board

‘The Knoepfler Award:’ Recognizing Risk and Those Who Make a Difference

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 8:00 am


A UC Davis stem cell researcher-blogger has announced a “stem cell person of the year” award
complete with a $1,000 cash prize that he is putting up himself.

Paul Knoepfler, who may be the only
stem cell scientist in the U.S. actively blogging on the subject,
said he has decided to put his money where his mouth is. 
Since announcing the contest in a Nov.13 blog item, Knoepfler has already received eight nominations,
including one for a scientist. Three days after the item aappeared, UC Davis
featured Knoepfler in a press release that included a video of
Knoepfler explaining the effort.
Paul Knoepfler
UC Davis photo

He said he wanted to go beyond “old
fashioned awards” given by “stodgy committees.” Knoepfler said he
is seeking to recognize that stem cell research is “transcending the
lab.”

The goal of the award, Knoepfler said,
is “to advance the stem cell field and give credit to those who
make a real difference.”
Knoepfler wrote,

“The criteria are that the person
made a truly outstanding difference in the stem cell field for 2012.
The winner could be a scientist, a patient advocate, someone in
industry, a student, a physician…really anyone who has made the
field better. For non-scientist nominees I’m particularly
interested in those who took personal risks or gave of themselves to
help others. For scientists I am looking for outstanding scientific
achievement and in particular out-of-the-box thinking. Folks in any
country are eligible.”

Deadline for nominations is Dec. 17.
Self-nominations are permissible. Knoepfler plans to pick five
finalists and interview them by phone. He also plans an online vote
that he said  “may” influence his decision.
Complete details are available on Knoepfler's blog

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/D_njqx1jc1U/the-knoepfler-award-recognizing-risk.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on ‘The Knoepfler Award:’ Recognizing Risk and Those Who Make a Difference

California Stem Cell Agency Blogs on Geron Clinical Trial

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 8:00 am


The California stem cell agency
published an article online last week concerning the hESC clinical
trial that Geron abandoned last year, dealing mainly with one of the
participants in the program.

The piece was studiously non-committal
about whether the $3 billion research program is likely to fund the
trial once again, should BioTime, Inc., of Alameda, Ca., be
successful in acquiring the assets of once was the first hESC
clinical trial in the United States. The agency loaned Geron $25
million a few months before the company cancelled the trial.
Amy Adams, CIRM's communications
manager, simply wrote,

“They (BioTime) would need to apply
for a loan if they want CIRM to financially support the continued
trial.”

The latest round of funding that
BioTime could apply for has a deadline of Dec. 18 for letters of
intent. In addition to a loan, a grant is also a possibility.
Adams focused on Katie Sharify, who was
enrolled in the clinical trial shortly before Geron said it was
dropping the effort for financial reasons. Adams interviewed Sharify
before an audience of scientists.
Adams wrote,

“Katie told me that it would be
impossible not to hope that a trial would help her, but that by the
time she made the decision to participate she knew she was doing it
to further science, not necessarily to further her own recovery. She
told the audience, 'I was part of something that was bigger than me,
and bigger than all of you.'”

Stem cell scientist Paul Knoepfler of
UC Davis also wrote about the BioTime-Geron deal last week. Noting
that Geron's decision a year ago left many “upset to put it
mildly,” Knoepfler said the “idea of BioTime buying the Geron
stem cell program is a great one that provides new hope on many
levels.”

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/VlS7kYH6oy4/california-stem-cell-agency-blogs-on.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on California Stem Cell Agency Blogs on Geron Clinical Trial

Researcher Alert: Keeping Tabs on the Stem Cell Exchequer

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 8:00 am


The California stem cell agency has
posted the dates for meetings of its board of directors for 2013
with most of the sessions scheduled for the San Francisco Bay Area.

One is expected to take place in San
Diego in August, and another in Los Angeles 13 months from now. The
other five are in Northern California. Not yet on the schedule is a board workshop in early January that will be open to the public.
Why is this of interest to researchers
and others? The  board controls the purse strings to $3 billion for research grants and determines what areas are to be funded. Astute scientists would do well to take in the sessions.
They offer insights into board thinking and opportunities to deal
with the agency staff and directors on an informal basis. Only a
handful of researchers – or less – attend the meetings on a
regular basis, but have been well-served by the time spent. 

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/YJowRDshtEY/researcher-alert-keeping-tabs-on-stem.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on Researcher Alert: Keeping Tabs on the Stem Cell Exchequer

California Stem Cell Agency Still in Talks on $40 Million for StemCells, Inc.

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am


The California stem cell agency and
StemCells, Inc., are still trying to reach agreement on a deal in
which the company would receive $40 million from the state's
taxpayer-funded research effort.

The sticking point is the $40 million
in matching funds required from the Newark, Ca., firm under the terms
of the two awards approved in July and September. The latter award
was okayed on a 7-5 vote by the governing board after it was rejected
twice by the agency's reviewers.
On Monday the California Stem Cell
Report
queried the agency about the status of the awards. Kevin
McCormack
, the agency's spokesman, replied,

“We are still in talks with them over
the terms of the funding. Hopefully, we'll have an agreement soon.”

He did not elaborate further.
CIRM staff normally reviews
applications after they are approved by the agency's governing board
to be sure that all conditions are being met. However, in the case of
the September award to StemCells, Inc., CIRM's governing board took
the unusual step of publicly stating that the firm must demonstrate
it has the $20 million in matching funds before it receives any
payments from CIRM. The board did not take that sort of public
position on the $20 million grant approved earlier in the summer,
although matching funds are required in that case as well.
The former chairman of the $3 billion
stem cell agency, Robert Klein, appeared twice before the board to
lobby for approval of the second award to StemCells, Inc., which is a
publicly traded firm.. It was the first such appearance by Klein
before his former colleagues since leaving the agency in June 2011.
Action on the StemCells, Inc., awards
attracted attention from the Los Angeles Times last month. Pulitzer
Prize-winning columnist Michael Hiltzik wrote that the process was “redolent of cronyism.” He said a “charmed relationship”
existed among StemCells, Inc., its “powerful friends” and the
stem cell agency.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/MeZfo2qdxDQ/california-stem-cell-agency-still-in.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on California Stem Cell Agency Still in Talks on $40 Million for StemCells, Inc.

Texas Flap Looms Over California Stem Cell Agency's Grant Appeals

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am


In nine days, the California stem cell
agency plans to take another crack at finding ways to curb its
free-wheeling appeal process involving scientists whose applications
for millions have been rejected by reviewers.

It is a matter of considerable interest
to researchers who need the cash to keep their labs running and remain in good standing with their host institutions.
The stem cell agency's governing board this fall created a task force to deal with the appeals issue after a
record-breaking number of researchers made public appeals featuring
emotional patient advocates. Even the former chairman of the agency,
Robert Klein
, made a two-time pitch for one applicant. Board members
later complained publicly about “arm-twisting,” lobbying and“emotionally charged presentations.”
The agenda for the Nov. 30 task force
meeting in Oakland -- with teleconferencing sites in San Francisco,
Irvine, Palo Alto, Seattle and Rochester, N.Y. -- contains few clues
on what the panel is hoping to specifically accomplish in next week's
90-minute session.
But interested researchers can check
the transcript from the Oct. 24 meeting, during which CIRM President
Alan Trounson described the problem as “very critical.” He said,

“I think this is a very serious
matter that could really bite us very hard in a similar way to what's
happened in Texas. Unless we come up with some kind of process that
really addresses the science, it's a very large concern.”

Trounson's Texas reference was to the
mass resignations of reviewers at that state's $3 billion cancer
research effort. Questions have been raised about integrity of its grant review process and the program's political and biotech industry
relationships. James Drew of the Dallas Morning News produced a bit of an overview this week. In another piece, Eric Berger of the
Houston Chronicle provided quotes from emails from the infighting on
a controversial $18 million grant.
Changes in California's grant appeal process may well
be also discussed at the agency's board meeting Dec. 12 in Los Angeles.
The board hopes to wrap up its action by late January.
Here is a link to an item with more specifics on material presented to the task force in October. Here is a link to an August 2012 list of articles and documents related to the CIRM appeals process.
Interested parties can address comments
to the agency at info@cirm.ca.gov.   

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/5vUXCLMoJz8/texas-flaps-looms-over-california-stem.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on Texas Flap Looms Over California Stem Cell Agency's Grant Appeals

Pomeroy Moving On, Will Leave Stem Cell Board

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am


Claire Pomeroy, one of the longtime
members of the governing board of the $3 billion California stem cell agency,
will be leaving her position at UC Davis and the stem cell board next
June.

Pomeroy yesterday announced her departure from Davis as vice chancellor for human health services and
dean of the medical school. In a telephone interview, she told the
California Stem Cell Report that she is examining a “few select
opportunities” to work at a national level on health reform and
health policy issues.
Claire Pomeroy
UC Davis photo
Pomeroy, 57, will be spending time in
Washington, D.C., working on health issues on behalf of the
University of California during the transition period before she
leaves her position in California.
Pomeroy came to UC Davis 10 years ago,
shortly before the Golden State's stem cell agency was created in
2004. At that time, UC Davis had what she called a “fledgling”
stem cell research effort. Today the school has chalked up $128 million in
grants from the stem cell agency, ranking fifth among institutions
funded by the agency.
She said that creation of the stem cell
agency “catalyzed development of our program,” which she said has
risen to “national prominence.”
Pomeroy's service on the stem cell
agency board was also instrumental in attracting a $100 million grant
from the Moore Foundation to start a new school of nursing at UC
Davis in 2009. Through her service on the board, she met Ed Penhoet,
who also served on the board and was one of the co-founders of Chiron
and then president of the Moore Foundation. Subsequently, Penhoet
called her for lunch to discuss her thoughts on nursing education,
and developments moved on from there.
The $100 million commitment was the
nation's largest grant for nursing education, according to the Moore Foundation.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/aS-PH9NtXbA/pomeroy-moving-on-will-leave-stem-cell.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on Pomeroy Moving On, Will Leave Stem Cell Board

'The Knoepfler Award:' Recognizing Risk and Those Who Make a Difference

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am


A UC Davis stem cell researcher-blogger has announced a “stem cell person of the year” award
complete with a $1,000 cash prize that he is putting up himself.

Paul Knoepfler, who may be the only
stem cell scientist in the U.S. actively blogging on the subject,
said he has decided to put his money where his mouth is. 
Since announcing the contest in a Nov.13 blog item, Knoepfler has already received eight nominations,
including one for a scientist. Three days after the item aappeared, UC Davis
featured Knoepfler in a press release that included a video of
Knoepfler explaining the effort.
Paul Knoepfler
UC Davis photo

He said he wanted to go beyond “old
fashioned awards” given by “stodgy committees.” Knoepfler said he
is seeking to recognize that stem cell research is “transcending the
lab.”

The goal of the award, Knoepfler said,
is “to advance the stem cell field and give credit to those who
make a real difference.”
Knoepfler wrote,

“The criteria are that the person
made a truly outstanding difference in the stem cell field for 2012.
The winner could be a scientist, a patient advocate, someone in
industry, a student, a physician…really anyone who has made the
field better. For non-scientist nominees I’m particularly
interested in those who took personal risks or gave of themselves to
help others. For scientists I am looking for outstanding scientific
achievement and in particular out-of-the-box thinking. Folks in any
country are eligible.”

Deadline for nominations is Dec. 17.
Self-nominations are permissible. Knoepfler plans to pick five
finalists and interview them by phone. He also plans an online vote
that he said  “may” influence his decision.
Complete details are available on Knoepfler's blog

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/D_njqx1jc1U/the-knoepfler-award-recognizing-risk.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on 'The Knoepfler Award:' Recognizing Risk and Those Who Make a Difference

California Stem Cell Agency Blogs on Geron Clinical Trial

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am


The California stem cell agency
published an article online last week concerning the hESC clinical
trial that Geron abandoned last year, dealing mainly with one of the
participants in the program.

The piece was studiously non-committal
about whether the $3 billion research program is likely to fund the
trial once again, should BioTime, Inc., of Alameda, Ca., be
successful in acquiring the assets of once was the first hESC
clinical trial in the United States. The agency loaned Geron $25
million a few months before the company cancelled the trial.
Amy Adams, CIRM's communications
manager, simply wrote,

“They (BioTime) would need to apply
for a loan if they want CIRM to financially support the continued
trial.”

The latest round of funding that
BioTime could apply for has a deadline of Dec. 18 for letters of
intent. In addition to a loan, a grant is also a possibility.
Adams focused on Katie Sharify, who was
enrolled in the clinical trial shortly before Geron said it was
dropping the effort for financial reasons. Adams interviewed Sharify
before an audience of scientists.
Adams wrote,

“Katie told me that it would be
impossible not to hope that a trial would help her, but that by the
time she made the decision to participate she knew she was doing it
to further science, not necessarily to further her own recovery. She
told the audience, 'I was part of something that was bigger than me,
and bigger than all of you.'”

Stem cell scientist Paul Knoepfler of
UC Davis also wrote about the BioTime-Geron deal last week. Noting
that Geron's decision a year ago left many “upset to put it
mildly,” Knoepfler said the “idea of BioTime buying the Geron
stem cell program is a great one that provides new hope on many
levels.”

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/VlS7kYH6oy4/california-stem-cell-agency-blogs-on.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on California Stem Cell Agency Blogs on Geron Clinical Trial

Researcher Alert: Keeping Tabs on the Stem Cell Exchequer

Posted: November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am


The California stem cell agency has
posted the dates for meetings of its board of directors for 2013
with most of the sessions scheduled for the San Francisco Bay Area.

One is expected to take place in San
Diego in August, and another in Los Angeles 13 months from now. The
other five are in Northern California. Not yet on the schedule is a board workshop in early January that will be open to the public.
Why is this of interest to researchers
and others? The  board controls the purse strings to $3 billion for research grants and determines what areas are to be funded. Astute scientists would do well to take in the sessions.
They offer insights into board thinking and opportunities to deal
with the agency staff and directors on an informal basis. Only a
handful of researchers – or less – attend the meetings on a
regular basis, but have been well-served by the time spent. 

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/YJowRDshtEY/researcher-alert-keeping-tabs-on-stem.html

Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy | Comments Off on Researcher Alert: Keeping Tabs on the Stem Cell Exchequer

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