City of Hope’s Dr. Linda Malkas Appointed to Stem Cell Agency Board

March 23, 2017  Oakland, CA Linda Malkas, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the City of Hope’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been appointed to the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s Stem Cell Agency.

California Treasurer John Chiang made the appointment saying: “She has had a stellar career in both research and administration, promoting and advancing research in women’s health with a particular focus on breast cancer. Dr. Malkas’ research expertise is in the areas of human cell DNA replication/repair, in biomarker and therapeutic target discovery and development.”

Treasurer Chiang said “Dr. Malkas is extraordinarily well-qualified” for the post. Her resume certainly reflects that. She was the founding Director of the Indiana Center for Breast Cancer Research. She discovered a molecule that can inhibit certain activities in cancerous cells and hopes to move that into clinical trials in the near future. She served for five years on a National Cancer Institute (NCI) subcommittee reviewing cancer center designations. She has served as chair on several NCI study panels and recently took on an advisory role on drug approval policy with the Food and Drug Administration.

“I am so honored by opportunity to serve California in this capacity,” says Dr. Malkas. “The research and technologies developed through this agency has benefited the health of not only Californians but the nation and world itself. I am excited to see what the future holds for the work of this agency.”

In addition to her leadership role at City of Hope’s Cancer Center, Dr. Malkas is a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Beckman Research Institute and joint head of the Molecular Oncology Program at the Cancer Center.

Dr. Malkas earned her graduate, Master’s and doctorate degrees from the City University of New York. She has published more than 75 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals, and in her spare time is a member of the editorial boards for the journals Cancer Research, Cancer Prevention Research, Current Cancer Therapy Reviews, and the American Journal of Translational Research.

“We are extremely happy to welcome Dr. Malkas to the Board,” says Jonathan Thomas, Ph.D., J.D., Chair of the CIRM Board. “Not only has she demonstrated expertise and leadership in science and academia, but the collaborative approach she has shown throughout her career make her an excellent addition to CIRM.”

In her spare time, Dr. Malkas enjoys spending time at her ranch with her family and friends. She also enjoys riding her four horses, and taking care of her dogs and cats. She is a lover of the sci-fi genre and enjoys Star Trek, vintage sci-fi movies as well as Harry Potter.

For more information contact Kevin McCormack at 415-361-2903 or kmccormack@cirm.ca.gov

 

About CIRM

At CIRM, we never forget that we were created by the people of California to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs, and act with a sense of urgency to succeed in that mission.

To meet this challenge, our team of highly trained and experienced professionals actively partners with both academia and industry in a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment to fast track the development of today’s most promising stem cell technologies.

With $3 billion in funding and approximately 300 active stem cell programs in our portfolio, CIRM is the world’s largest institution dedicated to helping people by bringing the future of cellular medicine closer to reality.

For more information, go to www.cirm.ca.gov