Press Release
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Announces Newly Appointed Board Of Directors
New board votes to approve first-of-its-kind state investment of nearly $7M in
Massachusetts-based Research Matching Grants
BOSTON -July 23, 2008 – The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) announced its newly formed Board of Directors at the board’s July meeting today, the first meeting since Governor Deval Patrick signed landmark Life Sciences legislation on June 16th. The $1 billion investment package positions Massachusetts as a global leader in the industry and tasks the Center with realizing the vision of the initiative. As one of its first acts, the board voted to approve the recipients of two 2008 Research Matching Grants, totaling nearly $7 million, that will go to foster and grow the scientific research enterprise of the Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Board of Directors, including Governor Deval Patrick’s new appointments to the board:
- Co-Chair Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Dan O’Connell (ex officio)
- Co-Chair Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan (ex officio)
- President of the University of Massachusetts Jack Wilson (ex officio)
- Marc Beer, former Chief Executive Officer, ViaCell, Inc.
- Joshua Boger, Ph.D., President and CEO, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Peter L. Slavin, M.D., President, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Lydia Villa-Komaroff, Ph.D., CEO, Cytonome, Inc.
"We are truly fortunate to have a Board of Directors that will bring such depth of expertise in life sciences to guide the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center in its important work,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President and CEO of the Center. “I am particularly excited that our Board members represent perspectives across all aspects of the state’s super cluster -- our academic medical centers, universities and industry, and believe that the willingness of such esteemed members of our life sciences community to serve on the MLSC Board reflects the general excitement and support for this initiative.”
The newly formed board voted to approve nearly $7 million in funding for two 2008 Research Matching Grants.These grants, focused on attracting top scientific talent, spurring new research opportunities, and increasing industry-sponsored research in the Commonwealth have been awarded to the following recipients:
New Faculty Startup Grants:
The New Faculty Startup Grant targets investments to attract and retain nationally prominent faculty at Massachusetts’ colleges and universities. The MLSC has awarded five Grants totaling $3.5 million to the following recipients:
New Faculty Awards - 2008 |
|
Institution |
Expertise Sought |
Boston University |
Systems biology and infectious diseases |
Brandeis University |
In vivo imaging of brain function |
University of Massachusetts Amherst |
Systems biology |
University of Massachusetts Boston |
Biomedical sciences |
University of Massachusetts Lowell |
Biomanufacturing science and engineering |
New Investigator Grants:
The New Investigator Grant seeks to spur innovative new research and advance the careers of new investigators who are working on cutting-edge life sciences research at Massachusetts colleges, universities, and affiliated research institutions. The MLSC has awarded 11 Grants totaling over $3.1 million to the following recipients:
New Investigator Awards – 2008 |
||
Institution |
Researcher |
Title of Research |
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
Wenyi Wei |
Dissection of the signaling pathways controlling the destruction of the Mdm2 oncoprotein |
Boston University |
Hatice Altug |
Development of multiplexed, ultra-sensitive, label-free and rapid biosensing technologies for proteomics and virus detection applications |
Broad Institute |
Alexander Meissner |
Characterizing the pluripotent state through integrative genomic analysis |
Harvard Medical School |
Thomas Bernhardt |
New strategies for identifying antibiotic targets |
Massachusetts General Hospital |
Jorge Mora |
Teaching lymphocytes where to go: Implications for intestinal immunity and inflammation |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Laurie Boyer |
Investigating how chromatin organization in embryonic stem cells influences cell fate specification |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Jeroen Saeij |
Molecular characterization of toxoplasma kinases involved virulence |
Tufts Veterinary School |
Christopher Schonhoff |
Role of S-nitrosylation in hepatic bile acid transport |
University of Massachusetts Amherst |
Jesse Mager |
Functional assessment of epigenetic regulatory genes in vivo |
University of Massachusetts Lowell |
Xingwei Wang |
Miniature label-free biosensing probes for rapid detection of virus, bacteria, and cells |
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research |
Iain Cheeseman |
A molecular toolkit for analysis of the human kinetochore |
“With these awards, we take the next step towards investing in the health of the Commonwealth and the health of all of our citizens,” said Governor Patrick. “This initiative supports our economic vitality, our academic excellence, and allows us to support the future innovators in Massachusetts.”
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center launched the Matching Grant Program in February of 2008, with the goal of funding research at public and private universities and colleges and affiliated research institutions such as academic medical centers and independent research entities in Massachusetts. The program aims to foster and grow the scientific research enterprise of the Commonwealth.
Even prior to the legislation becoming law, there has already been much momentum ignited at the Center: The launch of the research matching grant program, the creation of the MLSC’s expert Scientific Advisory Board, the Life Sciences Talent Initiative and funding for the stem cell registry and bank at UMASS Medical School.