To jump‑start California’s emerging stem cell and regenerative medicine community, CIRM launched Training Grants to attract talented PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. A few years later, CIRM launched Bridges, a second training program to recruit another essential group: undergraduate, bachelor’s, and master’s‑level scientists, the backbone of any successful research effort.
A new crop of scientists
Now, a decade later, a crop of budding scientists are emerging in California.
When Californians voted for Proposition 71 in 2004, they invested in hope—the hope that understanding stem cells could lead to new treatments and, one day, cures for devastating diseases and injuries. But turning that hope into reality requires more than scientific discovery. It demands a dedicated, skilled workforce ready to translate science into medicine.
Over the past 10 years, CIRM has supported 16 of these programs, which have proven among CIRM’s most popular and successful initiatives to date. As of 2019, the Bridges programs have trained well over 1,400 scientists, about half of whom work full-time in research positions at biotechnology companies or academic laboratories, and another third who went on to enroll in graduate or professional school.
Today, 14 active Bridges Programs across the state each have unique attributes, but all share the core elements of stem cell-based coursework, hands-on training through internships at world-class laboratories or biotechnology companies, and formal activities involving patient engagement and community outreach. Each year, the programs produce up to 140 well-rounded, highly skilled individuals ready to hit the ground running.
Networking and sharing knowledge
Each July, the most recent cohort of Bridges trainees gathers for an Annual Conference to share their research outcomes, network with peers, and learn about the current opportunities and challenges facing the regenerative medicine community.
This year, the 10th Annual Bridges Conference was held in San Mateo, CA, and featured inspiring talks from scientists conducting cutting-edge research and running some of the state’s first FDA-approved stem-cell-based clinical trials.
Perhaps the biggest highlight was hearing the real-life stories of brave individuals like Anna Simos, whose experience with life-threatening diabetes complications inspired her life’s work of providing hope and education to those facing similar challenges.
Equally moving was Byron Jenkins’s testimonial: a multiple myeloma patient who received an experimental CAR-T therapy in a CIRM-supported clinical trial sponsored by Poseida Therapeutics.
Last but not least, little Ronnie Kashyup, recently cured of Bubble Baby Disease through another CIRM-funded clinical trial, charmed all attendees with his larger-than-life personality while his father, Pawash Priyank, shared the story of Ronnie’s diagnosis and treatment.
For more information about CIRM Bridges Programs, see the following link and video below:
CIRM-funded internship programs