serving the underserved research
education
M E D I C A L
C E N T E R
patient care
News Update PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Feb–mar 2011
The Medical Matrix
Congratulations to Our Outstanding Physician-Researchers! 50 rank among the Best in the Nation and the Region LA BioMed’s researchers rank among the best physicians in the country and the region, according to two independent surveys of medical professionals. A select 40 physician-researchers at LA BioMed were named Southern California “Super Doctors.” The physicians were chosen for this honor through a peer-review selection process, which ensures only the top 5% of the region’s physicians will be named Southern California Super Doctors. Many of those same physicians and 10 more were picked by the publisher of “America’s Top Doctors” as among the best in the nation and the region. The publisher of annual review of physicians, Castle Connelly, says it surveys thousands of medical and healthcare professionals from around the country to determine which doctors are among the nation’s top 1% of physicians. While many more physician-researchers at LA BioMed certainly deserved these honors, they are limited to MDs who have clinical practices. “LA BioMed is proud of all of its investigators, and we congratulate our physician-researchers on these well-deserved honors for their distinguished careers and vital contributions to improving healthcare,” said Dr. David Meyer. “Our researcher-physicians are leaders in serving the underserved through the outstanding care they provide their patients and the ground-breaking research they conduct. LA BioMed is indeed privileged to have such dedicated physicians advancing the pace of discovery and translating those discoveries into treatments and therapies to help patients today and in the future.”
The doctors who were honored are: Arnold Bayer, MD† Sharon G. Adler, MD‡* Thomas L. Anderson MD‡* Lily M. Barba, MD‡ Peter Van Doren Barrett, MD* Marie H. Beall MD‡ Carol D. Berkowitz, MD†‡ James J. Black, MD‡ Matthew J. Budoff, MD†‡ Richard Casaburi, PhD, MD‡ John K. Chia, MD‡ Rowan Chlebowski, MD, PhD† Eric S. Daar, MD‡† Christian M. de Virgilio, MD‡ Carlos E. Donayre, MD‡ John E. Edwards, Jr., MD†‡ Viktor E. Eysselein, MD‡* Jerry Finkelstein† William J. French, MD‡* Charles S. Grob, MD* Kenneth R. Huff, MD‡* Donald W. Inadomi, MD‡ Eli Ipp, MD†‡ Sherwin J. Isenberg, MD†‡ Adam J. Jonas, MD†‡
Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh* Margaret A. Keller, MD‡ Siri Linda Kjos, MD‡ Stanley R. Klein, MD‡ Wai-Nang Paul Lee, MD‡ Ira M. Lesser, MD‡* Gregory R. Mason, MD‡ C. Mark Mehringer* Ricardo Patrick Mendoza, MD* Chrisanna M. Mink, MD‡ Anita L. Nelson, MD‡ Ronald J. Oudiz, MD, FACC‡ Jacob Rajfer, MD† Michael G. Ross, MD, MPH‡ James N. Scharffenberger, MD‡* Lance Sieger, MD‡* Bruce E. Stabile, MD ‡* Darryl Y. Sue, MD‡ Ronald S. Swerdloff, MD†‡ Christina Wang, MD‡ Rodney A. White, MD†‡ Mallory D. Witt, MD* Sylvia Yeh, MD‡ Henry Change-Lien Yang, MD* Kenneth M. Zangwill, MD‡
†Ranked among America’s Top Doctors in the Nation *Ranked among America’s Top Doctors in the Region ‡Ranked among Southern California Super Doctors
Historically, LA BioMed has served as the research park for clinicians at Harbor-UCLA. The departmental Dr. David Meyer structure of Harbor, reflecting the clinical and educational needs of a medical center, is not one that translates effectively to a modern research institute. Recent trends in both innovation and research funding have migrated toward the interdisciplinary and, hence, an interdepartmental structure. LA BioMed is taking major strides toward an Institute-based concept, one that can lead to collaborative and novel approaches to studying human biology and disease. The concept of institutes within LA BioMed affords us an ability to take our research to a new level, where flexibility and creativity can flourish. We have a multitude of talented researchers doing groundbreaking studies. The progress that could be made collaboratively, under the auspices of an Institute or Center, would give LA BioMed a distinct edge on innovation, as well as new sources of funding. continued on page 8
In this issue: LA BioMed Gala Beats Goal
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LA BioMed Spin-Off Company
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Legends Honors Leaders
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Medical Research Agreement
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Andrew J. Sobel Joins the Board
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LA BioMed in the News
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Foundation Increases Outreach
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Upcoming Events
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LA BioMed Gala Beats Goal “LA BioMed itself is a treasure because of its creative way of forming partnerships and its innovative ways of conducting scientific research.”
The Blueprint for Discovery Gala, LA BioMed’s annual fundraiser, was another big success this year, attracting nearly 500 guests and grossing almost $400,000. The event at the Terranea Resort honored Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Anne-Merelie Murrell, president of Giroux Glass Company, Inc.
Businesswoman Anne-Merelie Murrell received the LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Award for Inspirational Leadership.
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Abraxis BioScience CEO who has also performed pioneering transplant surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, introduced the supervisor, praising him for his mission to eliminate disparities in access to good health care. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas congratulated LA BioMed on its service to the underserved through its Immunize LA Families program to increase immunization rates in South Los Angeles, its South Bay Perinatal Program, its Women’s Health Care Clinic and much more. “LA BioMed itself is a treasure because of its creative way of forming partnerships and its innovative ways of conducting scientific research,” he said. “I look forward to our future collaboration because the best is yet to come.”
Jennifer Laity, left, and Joyce Brown were the Gala’s co-chairs.
LA BioMed President and CEO David Meyer introduced Mrs. Murrell as an “inspirational leader” and thanked the many volunteers who made the Oct. 30 event possible, including Jennifer Laity and Joyce Brown, the co-chairs for the gala; Rafer and Betsy Johnson, the honorary co-chairs; the other members of the Foundation Board, the Board of Directors and Teens for LA BioMed. “I also wish to extend a special thanks to our colleagues in the LA BioMed Development office for their hard work and to our colleagues who donated auction items and joined us at the Gala,” he said.
Dr. David Meyer (left) and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong (right) congratulate Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on his LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Award for Community Service.
LABioMed | NEWS |
F E B – M A R 2011
LABioMed Spin-Off Company Launches Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Investigational Vaccine to Combat Life-Threatening Infections Institute’s Infectious Disease Team Founded NovaDigm Therapeutics NovaDigm Therapeutics, Inc., an LA BioMed spin-off company developing vaccines against life-threatening infections, recently launched Phase 1 clinical trials to test the safety, tolerability and immune response of its first lead product, NDV-3. NDV-3 is an investigational vaccine designed to protect against life-threatening Candida and Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) infections. Candida, a fungal pathogen, is the third most common cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections. Staph infections, including the dangerous methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains, are leading causes of bacterial bloodstream infections and often resist traditional antibiotics. Together, Candida and Staph represent two of the most deadly and common microbes in society today–both in healthcare settings and in the community. More than 2 million healthcare-associated infections are reported annually in the U.S., causing an estimated 90,000 deaths. Millions of people outside hospitals—including members of the military—are also at increasing risk for invasive Staph and Candida infections. NDV-3 is First “Cross-Kingdom” Vaccine You might ask how one vaccine can protect against both a fungus and a bacterium? The short answer is that the NDV-3 vaccine is an example of what many experts in the field believe to be a breakthrough in vaccine immunology. NDV-3 is the first “cross-kingdom” vaccine, which means that—in experimental models—it protects against microbes of distinct biological kingdoms: fungus (Candida) and bacterium (Staph).
NovaDigm Founders are Infectious Disease Leaders Dr. Jack Edwards, Jr., who heads the Division of Infectious Diseases at LA BioMed and Harbor-UCLA, is the lead scientific founder of NovaDigm. The other scientific founders who are still active in the company are: Drs. Scott Filler, Yue Fu, Ashraf Ibrahim and Michael Yeaman. They are recognized leaders in the field of infectious diseases and the emerging threat of antibiotic-resistant infections, caused by microbes that have been called “superbugs.” Other co-founders are Dr. Fred Haney, Savery Nash, Tuomas Holmberg and Dr. Brad Spellberg. Will Joseph joined as one of the first employees and has played a key role in developing the company. Other key NovaDigm contributors include Dr. Timothy Cooke, CEO; Dr. John Hennessey, vice president of research and development; Dr. Jo White, clinical study specialist, and Dr. Clint Schmidt, director of research operations. LA BioMed Research Led to Vaccine As part of their two-decade long and ongoing NIH-funded project, the Infectious Disease team worked with Harbor-UCLA to develop a bank of endothelial cells (which line the inside of blood vessels) used to uncover the proteins that Candida albicans exploit to invade human tissues, such as the heart, kidneys and eyes.
The NDV-3 vaccine may also have a fundamentally new mechanism of action. Beyond simulating antibodies, the NDV3 vaccine appears to activate a special immune circuit that enhances function of white blood cells that provide the best defense against these infections.
“Founding of NovaDigm by an interdisciplinary team of LA BioMed investigators, Harbor-UCLA faculty and venture development experts offers a model for tech transfer that may be a key to success and sustainability of our campus in the future.”
Dr. Jack Edwards, Jr., lead scientific founder of NovaDigm.
These proteins, called agglutinin-like sequence (Als) proteins, had been previously identified by other researchers. But the LA BioMed Infectious Disease team was the first to identify their role in infections caused by Candida. The team also made an exciting discovery that opened a new door into vaccine science. Combining immunology, protein science and computational bioinformatics, they found striking sequence and 3-D similarities between Als proteins of Candida and proteins in Staph. This breakthrough correctly predicted that Als3 protein would also protect against Staph infections, including MRSA. “Beyond the NDV-3 vaccine, NovaDigm is developing a novel vaccine pipeline based on innovative thinking,” said Dr. Edwards. “Founding of NovaDigm by an interdisciplinary team of LA BioMed investigators, Harbor-UCLA faculty and venture development experts offers a model for tech transfer that may be a key to success and sustainability of our campus in the future.” “We are all grateful to Dr. David Meyer, Art Zweben, Dr. William Stringer and to the NIH and Department of Defense for their ongoing support and encouragement of our efforts.” Dr. Edwards added. “We are working to address the increasing threat of antibiotic-resistant infections and save lives, and we are doing everything we can to help LA BioMed and Harbor-UCLA.”
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Legends to Honor Drs. Jerome I. Rotter and Alan H. Jobe Memorial Honor for Kenneth Hahn, Legendary County Supervisor This year’s Legends event will honor two of our former physician-researchers, Drs. Alan H. Jobe and Jerome I. Rotter, on May 12 at Trump National Golf Club. It will also feature a memorial tribute to the late Kenneth Hahn, a staunch supporter of Harbor-UCLA while serving a record 40 years as Los Angeles County Supervisor. This year’s two Legends started their illustrious careers at Harbor-UCLA, with Dr. Rotter developing a specialty in medical genetics and Dr. Jobe leading the LA BioMed team of researchers who developed lung surfactants that have saved the lives of thousands of premature infants. “We are so proud to honor such distinguished Harbor alumni as Dr. Jobe and Dr. Rotter,” said David Meyer, LA BioMed president and CEO. “From their days at Harbor-UCLA to today, they have left their mark on the practice of medicine and transformed their respective fields through their research. We also look forward to celebrating the many contributions the late Kenneth Hahn made to Harbor-UCLA and to his legendary career as a public servant.”
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To attend Legends, please contact Lisa Bosnich, lbosnich@labiomed.org, 310.222.4240.
Dr. Jobe: Leader in Pediatrics
Dr. Rotter: Leader in Medical Genetics
Kenneth Hahn: Legendary Public Servant
Dr. Jobe graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a degree in biology in 1967. He earned both his MD and PhD degrees in 1973 at the University of California, San Diego.
Dr. Rotter graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA with a BS in 1970 and an MD in 1973. He first came to Harbor for his medical student rotations in 1971 and joined Harbor’s medical genetics faculty in 1978, becoming Harbor’s director of the Genetic Epidemiology and Population Genetics Section.
A Memorial Tribute
He joined Harbor-UCLA’s Department of Pediatrics in 1977 and became director of the Perinatal Research Laboratories in 1995. He also was named the first Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr., Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA in 1995. He moved to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital at the University of Cincinnati in 1997 where he is professor of pediatrics in the divisions of neonatology and pulmonary biology. Dr. Jobe performed many of the metabolic and physiologic studies that resulted in FDA approval of surfactant for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome. His related research interests are in surfactant homeostasis, lung injury, fetal inflammation and lung development. His CV lists more than 290 peer-reviewed publications and more than 165 editorials, chapters and other publications.
Dr. Rotter left Harbor in 1986 and went to Cedars-Sinai where he serves as director of research and co-director of the Medical Genetics Institute, director of the Division of Medical Genetics in the Department of Medicine and director of the Common Diseases Genetics Program. He holds the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Chair in Medical Genetics. He pioneered the genetics of common diseases, using approaches of intermediate phenotypes and genetic heterogeneity in inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, lipid disorders, statin response and insulin resistance. He holds 20 patents, has published more than 320 peer-reviewed articles and has authored or co-authored more than 300 books, chapters, abstracts and other publications.
A graduate of Pepperdine University, Kenneth Hahn served as Los Angeles County supervisor from 1952 to 1992. While he never worked at Harbor or LA BioMed, he was integral to the success of the hospital and, ultimately, the institute. Dr. John Michael Criley, who will lead the tribute at the Legends event, said Supervisor Hahn helped secure funding for the hospital and its new coronary care unit shortly after the current medical center opened in 1962. He said Supervisor Hahn also helped persuade then-Gov. Ronald Reagan to sign legislation that made possible the paramedic model of emergency medical care that Dr. Criley brought to the U.S. Supervisor Hahn also celebrated many of LA BioMed’s milestones, including the opening of some of its more modern research buildings. “He was involved in everything at Harbor when he was the supervisor,” Dr. Criley said. “He was very attentive to our needs.” Supervisor Hahn, who died in 1997, is the father of two of Los Angeles’ leading politicians. His son James K. Hahn served as Los Angeles City Attorney from 1985 to 2001 and as mayor from 2001 to 2005. His daughter, Janice Hahn, is a member of the Los Angeles City Council.
LABioMed | NEWS |
F E B – M A R 2011
Medical Research Agreement with Harbor-UCLA Approved Term Extended to Give LA BioMed Time to Develop its Master Plan We are very appreciative of the recent vote by the LA County Board of Supervisors, granting LA BioMed an extension of our agreement to continue grant-funded medical research and education services on the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center campus. Our current agreement began in 1992 and expired at the end of 2010. The supervisors’ vote authorized the director of Health Services to extend the contract for 18 months to June 30, 2012, with two optional one-year extensions through June 30, 2014. While this agreement is usually renewed for a longer period, this year’s contract was extended for just 3½ years to give the LA BioMed time to complete its master plan for its new research park, as well as secure a ground lease for its future 10.25 acre site. During the interim, the County and LA BioMed will forge a new agreement that will more accurately reflect the current working relationships and campus occupancy of the two institutes. “With today’s contract extension, Harbor-UCLA and LA BioMed will continue to provide quality medical services and conduct groundbreaking research, as the County develops a comprehensive master plan for the campus,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas at the conclusion of the board’s approval. “This innovative partnership, which comes at very limited cost to the County, allows us to maintain the consistent delivery of health care to County patients.” Fund-raising outreach is underway to finance these plans, and LA BioMed is working closely with the County to ensure a smooth transition as Harbor and the Institute plan for new facilities.
The LA BioMed campus concept would create a welcoming and easily accessible campus composed of: New research buildings Parking garage New biological resource center New campus center
Andrew J. Sobel Brings Healthcare Real Estate Expertise to LA BioMed Board of Directors Welcome to Andrew J. Sobel, who joined LA BioMed’s Board of Directors in January. Drew is the co-founder and managing member of Brentwood Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm that is focused on healthcare related real estate. He also is serving on the President’s Advisory Board, which is advising Dr. Meyer on the institute’s master plan. “We are so pleased to have Drew join the board,” said LA BioMed Board Chair Scott D. Somers. “He brings a wealth of knowledge about healthcare real estate which will be invaluable as LA BioMed moves forward with its master plan. He’s also a dedicated volunteer who is active in numerous charitable organizations.” Prior to founding the companies that make up Brentwood Capital Partners, Mr. Sobel was the executive vice president of
strategic planning and operations for Arden Realty, Inc., formerly a New York Stock Exchange real estate investment trust and the largest owner of commercial office real estate in Southern California. During his 15 years at Arden Realty, he had direct responsibility for creating and implementing the firm’s strategic objectives for its real estate, capital markets, finance and corporate operations. He joined Arden Realty’s predecessor entity in 1991 as general counsel, held several key executive positions and was responsible for overseeing and executing the company’s business plan. Mr. Sobel is a member of the Chairman’s Circle for the Los Angeles Business Council, State Bar of California. He is a founding member of the Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund, Los Angeles and is active in
Andrew J. Sobel
numerous charitable and philanthropic organizations. He received his Bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at Oswego and his Juris Doctor degree from University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall).
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LA BioMed in the News Dr. Gangadarshni Chandramohan received coverage in the LA Times, UPI wire service, WebMD and the Daily Breeze for her abstract presentation at the American Society of Nephrology’s Renal Week conference in Denver. She reported that her study of more than 4,500 youngsters found children with higher waist circumferences had significantly higher pulse pressures, which is known to increase the risk of heartrelated disorders. darshni Dr. Ganga ohan m Chandra
Dr. Rowan T. Chlebowski’s new study finding hormone therapy increased the risk of breast cancer and dying from breast cancer in post-menopausal women led to his appearing on the NBC Nightly News, CNN and PBS NewsHour and to stories quoting him in the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and several other media outlets. He also was quoted in the New York Times, WebMD, HemOnc Today, MedScape Today and Internal Medicine News for his comments on another researcher’s study from the Women’s Health Initiative. Dr Chlebowski, who has authored numerous studies from the Women’s Health Initiative, noted that previous studies had come up with the same findings: women who take estrogen only to relieve menopausal symptoms may have lower risks of breast cancer. Dr. Rajnish Mehrotra and the research he led that found kidney disease patients on home dialysis fare as well as those who went to dialysis centers were featured in an Associated Press report that appeared on the front page of the Daily Breeze, in the Long Beach Press Telegram and on websites for CBS, National Public Radio, Forbes and several other media outlets. Nearly a quarter of Dr. Mehrotra’s dialysis patients rely on home dialysis, a less costly and more convenient blood-cleansing method. Dr. Matthew J. Budoff appeared on KCAL-TV, Channel 9, to discuss how to keep your heart healthy and deal with stress. He also discussed his research, which is finding Kyolic Garlic reduces cardiac problems in firefighters. In addition, Dr. Budoff was quoted in HealthImaging.com about the new American College of Cardiology Foundation and American Heart Association (ACCF/AHA) guidelines for how to assess cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic adults. The new guidelines for the first time acknowledged the value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring and carotid artery intima-media thickness scanning by ultrasound. Dr. Budoff, a member of the SHAPE II task force and also the
ACCF/AHA writing group, said CAC screening received the strongest recommendation of any of the ancillary tests other than the Framingham risk score, a system for measuring risk factors. Drs. Ross Donaldson and Marianne Gausche-Hill were featured in a front-page article in the Daily Breeze because of their work with the Santa Monica-based International Medical Corps, which has trained about 300 Iraqi physicians in emergency medicine. Dr. Donaldson has spent considerable time in Iraq, and Dr. Gausche-Hill traveled there in the fall. They have also established their own Web page for wheel chair donations to Iraq. For information, visit www.fwm.kintera.org/wheelchairsforiraq/. Dr. Brad Spellberg was quoted extensively in a Newsweek magazine article about the rise in antibioticresistant infections and the decline in the development of new antibiotics to treat them. The lengthy article addressed the need to change the way we think about treating infections. Immunize LA Families, a community service project of LA BioMed that seeks to improve immunization rates in South Los Angeles, was featured in stories on Telemundo and Univision and in stories appearing in the Los Angeles Times, La Opinión, El Aviso, the Daily Breeze and the LA Sentinel. Dr. Patricia Dickson was featured on the front page of the Daily Breeze and in the Science Blog for a study she conducted which supports the need for newborn screening and early treatment for a rare and potentially fatal genetic disorder, mucopolysaccharidosis type I or MPS I. The study found an enzyme replacement therapy first developed at LA BioMed has the potential to eliminate almost all of the symptoms associated with MPS I. Dr. Christian de Virgilio received coverage in the Daily Breeze for an upcoming honor, the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award for Program Director Excellence to be presented in March by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Dr. de Virgilio has won numerous teaching awards, including the Golden Apple Teaching Award from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA nine times, the American Medical Student Association National Faculty Teacher of the Year in 2007 and Faculty Teacher of the Year at Harbor-UCLA in 1996.
LABioMed | NEWS |
Dr. Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh was quoted in HealthDay about a new study finding moderate drinking could lower the death risk for kidney transplant patients. Dr. Kalantar-Zadeh, who was not involved in the study, said its findings were “welcome Dr. Kamya news” for transplant patients r Kalanta r-Zadeh because “in this population with chronic kidney problems hardly anything has been associated with better outcomes.” He was also quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Daily Breeze, the Times of India, MedPage Today and The Med Guru about his study finding kidney patients on dialysis who build muscle mass survive longer. Dr. Ronald Oudiz, cardiologist, was quoted in The Arizona Republic about the danger of a rare and often fatal illness, pulmonary hypertension. He said the survival rate can be low in cases where the patient is pregnant and has pulmonary hypertension. A Phoenix hospital had recently admitted a pregnant woman with the condition. Dr. Ronald
Oudiz
Dr. Yutaka Niihara and Emmaus, an LA BioMed spin-off, were featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal. The newspaper reported that L-glutamine, the product Niihara is testing to treat sickle cell disease, received a “big boost” when Emmaus was awarded a fiveyear contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs to supply its prescription drug NutreStore to treat short bowel syndrome, which prevents patients from properly absorbing nutrients. Niihara is chief executive and co-founder of Emmaus. Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc., an LA BioMed spinoff, was featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal for starting late-stage clinical studies of its product, ATX 101, a nonsurgical method for dissolving chin fat. In August, Kythera signed a deal, potentially worth $373 million, with Germany’s Bayer HealthCare to market overseas. Dr. Samuel W. French received coverage in the Daily Breeze and the Rancho Palos Verdes Patch website for the Lifetime Achievement Award he received from the Los Angeles Society of Pathologists, Inc. Dr. French has been affiliated with LA BioMed and Harbor-UCLA for more than two decades, authoring or coauthoring more than 800 research articles, chapters, books and other scholarly works.
F E B – M A R 2011
Foundation Board’s Advisory Council Increases Outreach The Foundation Board, LA BioMed’s fund-raising arm which sponsors the Gala every year, has expanded and revitalized its Advisory Council and is planning to hold meetings for the group of volunteers quarterly. Sharon Guthrie, former Foundation Board president and now chair of the Advisory Council, said members of the Advisory Council are those who have been a key resource for LA BioMed, have demonstrated high interest and/or commitment to the institute and are people with whom the Foundation has a significant ongoing relationship. “The Advisory Council provides an opportunity to continue meaningful involvement for those identified by our definition,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “It offers another avenue by which we can spread the word about our local treasure–LA BioMed. We welcome counsel, positive reinforcement and constructive criticism, and these are individuals who can intelligently address this. Together and individually, we are striving to keep LA BioMed and its value to the community and the rest of the world foremost in the minds of others.”
Members of the Advisory Council Frank Brown Pat Brown Marty Gamble Larry Goldsmith Joan Hanley Dee Hardison Joanne Hunter Richard Learned Phyllis Monroe Mary Jane Schoenheider Pris Schultz Roger Schultz Sharon Guthrie, Chair
Sharon Guthrie
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President’s Letter Continued from page 1
Upcoming Events
Take childhood obesity as an example. LA BioMed researchers are looking at this prevalent condition in our community from various angles including genetics, maternal-fetal programming, metabolism and psychiatry. A Center for Obesity Medicine and Prevention could be part of an Institute for Metabolic Medicine, which could include various other Centers focusing on topics ranging from enzyme replacement therapy to diabetes and nutrition. The value added would be immense. Stated simply, the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts.
April 5 Please invite your friends and family to join LA BioMed on April 5 at the Redondo Beach Library to hear Dr. Brad Spellberg discuss “Bad Bugs, No Drugs: The global threat from deadly bacteria.” His presentation is another in the Science Soirée Series sponsored by the LA BioMed Foundation Board. It is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to Eileen Mosler, emosler@labiomed.org, 310.222.8284.
We now have a matrix of possibilities for Centers and Institutes, derived from interviews with dozens of investigators and drawn up by Mike Yeaman, Terry Doherty, Anne Hyde and Ned Anthony. There are three major advantages to this new structure, the first of which is the ability of our investigators to selfselect into collaborative alliances where they can take on some of the most challenging issues in medical research. The second is the inherent flexibility in such a system. It can be both proactive and reactive to new directions and priorities in medicine and the associated technological advances. Third lies in its ability to be packaged to appeal to philanthropists and granting agencies. For me, the development of the matrix has been an exhilarating experience. It clearly reveals the breadth, as well as the depth, of the research at LA BioMed. Most importantly, this innovative and timely approach gives a very clear indication of the potential for LA BioMed’s future and how the funds we raise for our new campus and programs will have a huge impact as we continue to serve our community and beyond.
BioMed is taking major strides LA toward an Institute-based concept, one that can lead to collaborative and novel approaches to studying human biology and disease.
Save The Date!
Legends
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Legends Honors
Drs. Jerome I. Rotter and
Alan H. Jobe Memorial Tribute
County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn (1920–1997)
May 12 Trump National Golf Course
Contact Us Please contact Laura Mecoy, LA BioMed’s communications consultant, with items for future newsletters and with news. Reach her at 310-546-5860, or LMecoy@issuesmanagement.com