University of California, Irvine’s Dr. Howard Federoff joins CIRM Board
February 25, 2016
Oakland, CA – Dr. Howard Federoff, the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and the CEO of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Health system has been appointed to the governing Board of CIRM, California’s stem cell institute.
Dr. Federoff is a professor of neurology who oversees UCI’s clinical, medical educational and research missions.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Federoff to the Board,” says Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, Chair of the CIRM Board. “He brings with him a wealth of experience as both a physician and a researcher, that will be invaluable in helping us advance our mission of accelerating stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs.”
Dr. Federoff joined UCI in July of 2015 after serving as the executive Vice President for Health Sciences and executive Dean of the School of Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Prior to joining Georgetown in 2007, he held clinical and academic positions at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City (where he earned his master’s, doctoral and medical degrees) and at the University of Rochester.
Dr. Federoff is Board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology & metabolism. He also has advanced research in the areas of gene therapy and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and prion diseases. In 2014, he was the lead author of a study that discovered and validated a predictive blood test for those at risk for Alzheimer’s.
“It’s an honor to be asked to be part of the CIRM Board,” says Dr. Federoff. “Having spent many years researching diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, I know how great the need is for new, innovative approaches to treating these, and so many other, problems. The research that CIRM funds has the potential to transform medicine and transform people’s lives, and I look forward to being a part of that work.”
Dr. Federoff replaces UCI’s Dr. Sue Bryant who stood down in November.
“We are truly sorry to see Sue go,” says Thomas. “Sue has been an extraordinarily important part of CIRM’s history, having served on the Board since our inception. Her wisdom, experience and great sense of humor have been invaluable in helping guide us to where we are today. We shall miss her but know that she will always be a part of the work that we do.”
|
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 |