Human BioMolecular Research Institute Celebrates 10 Years of Brain Research
The Human BioMolecular Research Institute celebrated over a decade of brain disease research and science education programs during a ten year anniversary gala May 30, at the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club.
Institute Director Dr. John Cashman recalled that the past decade of research included the discovery of several possible new disease therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS And other neurodegenerative problems including memory loss, depression and addictions. New discovery areas at the institute include cancer and cardiovascular disease, Cashman said.
Life Science Entrepreneur’s Business Law Primer
Thomas Jefferson Law School and the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences are offering a primer for life science entrepreneur’s on business law on June 27, at the San Diego campus of the law school. More details, including registration information is available here.
La Jolla Institute’s Board Welcomes Four New Members
One of the nation’s top scientists, a former president of the University of California system and two prominent business executives joined the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology’s Board of Directors.
The new members are: Robert C. Dynes, Ph.D., president emeritus of the University of California, and former chancellor of UC San Diego; Leroy Hood, M.D., Ph.D., president of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and one of only seven U.S. scientists elected to all three National Academies; John E. Major, non-executive chairman of the board of Broadcom, Inc., president of The Technologies Solutions Group, and chairman of CommNexus; and David Dominguez, chairman and CEO of The Andrew Lauren Company, and founder of Freedom is Not Free.
“With these four new Board members, we expand our Board’s already impressive scientific and business development credentials and bring significant management expertise from both the public and private sector,” said Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., La Jolla Institute president and scientific director. “They will join our existing eight-member board in guiding our Institute’s continued quest to fight disease and improve human health through innovative immune system research.”
Goldstein Foundation Gives $1.5 Million to TSRI for Amyloidosis Research
The Arlene & Arnold Goldstein Family Foundation has given $1.5 million to support research in The Scripps Research Institute's Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine.
The funds will make possible the hiring and support of an investigator designated the Arlene and Arnold Goldstein Assistant Professor of Molecular and Experimental Medicine who will contribute to the efforts to develop the next generation of drugs to treat transthyretin amyloidosis. Transthyretin amyloidosis can lead to a number of medical problems, including decreased heart function.
"We are very enthusiastic to partner with Arlene and Arnold Goldstein to develop the next generation of drugs to combat amyloidosis," said Jeffery Kelly, chair of the Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine. "This category of human maladies represents a large unmet medical need and we appreciate the Goldsteins' commitment to provide us with the resources to develop new therapeutic strategies for these degenerative disorders."
Amyloidosis includes a number of inherited and acquired conditions caused by the misfolding of proteins in the body. The gift will support work on the development of a distinct but complementary therapeutic aimed at treating senile systemic amyloidosis, a type of transthyretin amyloidosis that affects a quarter of the population 85 years of age or older.
Using Social Media to Market Your Business
Resistance to social media is futile. Millions of people are creating content for the social Web. Your competitors are already there. Your customers have been there for a long time. If your business isn't putting itself out there, it ought to be.
Social networking tools are being integrated in the marketing efforts of many corporations, from the start-up to the multi-national. One of the hottest recent stories in the tech industry has been the rapid rise of the messaging service Twitter. Starting from a small base of enthusiast users, the service has rapidly risen to prominence in the media.
On June 25, from 7am to 9 am at the Hilton Torrey Pines Hotel, you can learn how to use social media to market your business from Guy Kawasaki, one of the foremost experts on the topic. Kawasaki is a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine. Previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, Inc and has authored nine books, including Selling the Dream.
Register online at http://www.sdvg.org/calendar/details.php?id=88
Scripps Scientists Uncover Novel Mechanism Controlling Brain Tumor Growth
Discovery Could Become a New Drug Target for Metastatic Brain Cancer
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a molecular mechanism that plays a pivotal role in controlling cancer growth in the brain. The discovery could provide a basis for potentially effective therapies for the treatment of brain metastasis.
As survival rates among some patients with cancer continue to rise, so does the spread of these cancers to the brain – as much as 40 percent of all diagnosed brain cancers are considered metastatic.
The Scripps study was published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of June 8, 2009.
"Our study could have a broad impact because it explains at a molecular level how metastatic lesions thrive in the brain," said Scripps Research Associate Professor Brunhilde Felding-Habermann, who led the research. "This offers a potential target for inhibiting the growing problem of brain metastasis."
SDSU Names MIN CHOI of Mentus Most Influential Faculty Member
Min Choi, a graphic designer with Mentus, a San Diego-based marketing and public relations firm, has been named the Most Influential Faculty member of 2009 by San Diego State University’s School of Art, Design and Art History.
The award is given each year to the most outstanding student within the school.
“I was surprised to find out that I was chosen to receive this award among all the dedicated faculty in our department,” Choi said. “I try to instill in my students a method to the creative, similar to the approach used at Mentus. The design needs to be functional and practical, yet with unlimited creativity and a high level of conceptual thinking. Plus, the projects need to incorporate aspects of sustainability if possible,” she said.
Choi has worked in the design industry for over 7 years that last two at Mentus. She has also taught an evening class specializing in package design for the past 4 years, and is involved in AIGA, a professional organization for the design industry in which she serves on the board for the San Diego Education Committee.
KPBS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTING FUND
KPBS seeks to create a Science and Technology News Fund to create an endowed reporting position. This professional multi-media reporter would appear on KPBS Radio, Television, and Web and work in cooperation with National Public Radio, the California Report and other shared news outlets.
The funded journalist would provide, over a year’s time, roughly 100 daily radio news reports; between 30-50 in-depth radio features; an estimated 40 appearances on KPBS radio and TV news analysis programs; plus corresponding web reports and frequent reports for regional and national networks. KPBS Reporters are also available for visits to schools, community groups, and special events.
The annual cost of the reporter would be $80,000 per year for three years. This would cover salary, benefits, overhead costs, start-up costs, training and equipment. With this funding we could attract a talented reporter who would be assured of the position’s continuity. Conceptually, it would be analogous to an endowed chair at the university .
A commitment of $240,000 would insure a three-year funding, which would be necessary to create this position, assure its continuity and sufficient resources for quality production.
KPBS/FM has a weekly listening audience of over 283,000 people while NPR has a national weekly listening audience of over 22 million people. KPBS television has a viewing audience of over 744,977 weekly.
The financial backer of the reporting endowment will be recognized on KPBS/FM. The donor will also be recognized around science and nature programming on KPBS television and on any reports that are submitted for regional and national broadcast.