By Emily Moskal In her first year as a newborn, Christelle Salomon was diagnosed with sickle cell disease. The fact that, as a baby, Salomon would only stop crying from pain at the peak of a swing on the swing set tipped off one of her six siblings to the debilitating illness that Salomon would … Continue reading Cured of sickle cell disease, Christelle Salomon builds trust in clinical trials
When Mercedes Paredes was a young clinical fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, she knew she wanted to spend her career better understanding the origins of – and possible treatments for – neuropsychiatric diseases. She didn’t know how to get started. Mercedes Paredes, MD, PhD That’s where a training grant from the California … Continue reading Former CIRM trainee Mercedes Paredes goes full circle
By Holly Alyssa MacCormick Some of the biggest advances in autism research have come from a unique and dedicated group—the families and patient advocates who live with autism every day. Matthew State, MD, PhD, chief scientific advisor for the Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) initiative and chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the … Continue reading How patient advocates help advance profound autism research
From the age of three, Tara Radcliffe Ghiglieri danced almost every day, leaping, pirouetting, tapping, and high-kicking her way into a Broadway career that included a multi-year stint as a Radio City Rockette. She trained hard, at times rehearsing eight hours a day, six days a week. "And performance days could be up to six … Continue reading Experimental treatment brings relief for a dancer with chronic knee pain
Scientific breakthroughs are built on insights from good data, but sometimes those breakthroughs are hidden under an ocean of too much of it. Integrating data Recently, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved a new kind of investment. A new infrastructure award aims to create tools to make sense of the massive, complex biological datasets produced through CIRM-funded research. The program would fund the creation of new … Continue reading Funding Available to Create Software to Integrate Regenerative Medicine Data
A decision California voters made more than two decades ago helped build an unparalleled scientific ecosystem that's now paying dividends for the state, according to Johnathan Thomas, the president and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). "(California) is pretty much now the largest funder of stem cell and gene therapy research in the world," … Continue reading How California Built a Global Powerhouse in Stem Cell and Gene Therapy
Jordan Janz knows how lucky he is. It's been almost six years since Jordan volunteered to be patient number one in a clinical trial at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to test a new treatment for cystinosis. People with this rare genetic disease accumulate the amino acid cystine in their organs. The toxic … Continue reading Treatment for one rare disease but plans for many more
Image Credit: Canva - studioroman Often, after decades of intensive scientific research, even the most promising potential new therapies come down to a critical final phase: courageous people stepping forward to participate in a clinical trial. For Clinical Trials Day this year, we're celebrating a few of the many patients who inspire us, while highlighting … Continue reading What We Wish People Knew About Clinical Trials
Written by Holly Alyssa MacCormick James DeKloe, a distinguished professor of biotechnology and bio-manufacturing at Solano Community College, knows firsthand the importance of life sciences. It why he's so passionate about the CIRM program at Solano Community College known as Creating Opportunities through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem Cell Science, or COMPASS. It's personal Speaking at a recent presentation for the California … Continue reading Closer to Cures: James DeKloe and CIRM trainees discuss COMPASS program
Maria Gonzalez Bonneville is dedicated to improving health in California through her roles at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Since joining in 2011, she focuses on making therapies accessible and affordable. Her personal connection to Parkinson's disease drives her mission, alongside her extensive political and scientific expertise.