Getting a start in your chosen career is never easy. Without experience it’s hard to get a job. And without a job you can’t get experience. That’s why the CIRM Bridges program was created, to help give undergraduate and Master’s level students a chance to get the experience they need to start a career in … Continue reading Bridging the gap: training scientists to speak everyday English
CIRM 2.0
Improving process drives progress in stem cell research
Process is not a sexy word. No one gets excited thinking about improving a process. Yet behind every great idea, behind every truly effective program is someone who figured out a way to improve the process, to make that idea not just work, but work better. It’s not glamorous. Sometimes it’s not even pretty. But … Continue reading Improving process drives progress in stem cell research
Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
Government agencies are known for many things, but generally speaking a willingness to do some voluntary, deep self-examination is not one of them. However, for the last few weeks CIRM has been doing a lot of introspection as we develop a new Strategic Plan, a kind of road map for where we are heading. But … Continue reading Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
Share your voice, shape our future
There is power in a single voice. I am always reminded of that whenever I meet a patient advocate and hear them talk about the need for treatments and cures – and not just for their particular disease but for everyone. The passion and commitment they display in advocating for more research funding reflects the … Continue reading Share your voice, shape our future
One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
One of the great privileges and pleasures of working at the stem cell agency is the chance to meet and work with some remarkable people, such as my colleagues here at CIRM and the researchers we support. But for me the most humbling, and by far the most rewarding experience, is having a chance to … Continue reading One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
A hopeful sight: therapy for vision loss cleared for clinical trial
Rosalinda Barrero says people often thought she was rude, or a snob, because of the way she behaved, pretending not to see them or ignoring them on the street. The truth is Rosalinda has retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a nasty disease, one that often attacks early in life and slowly destroys a person’s vision. Rosalinda’s eyes … Continue reading A hopeful sight: therapy for vision loss cleared for clinical trial
March ICOC/Governing Board Meeting Begins Soon
The March ICOC/Governing Board Meeting is beginning this morning at 9am in Berkeley, CA. Agenda details and dial-in instructions can be found on our website. Please watch this space for an update from the meeting. You can also keep up with the latest news by visiting CIRM on Twitter and Facebook.
The best tools to be the best advocate
It’s hard to do a good job if you don’t have the right tools. And that doesn’t just apply to fixing things around the house, it applies to all aspects of life. So, in launching our new website this week we didn’t just want to provide visitors to the site with a more enjoyable and … Continue reading The best tools to be the best advocate
CIRM Launches New and Improved Website
CIRM has experienced many exciting changes over the past year: we’ve welcomed a new president, revamped our blog and—perhaps most importantly—announced a radical overhaul in how we fund stem cell research with the launch of CIRM 2.0. That’s not even mentioning the 11 projects we are now funding in clinical trials. And now, we’d like … Continue reading CIRM Launches New and Improved Website
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: repairing radiation damage, beta thalassemia clinical trial and disease models
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Stem cells repair brain damage from radiation therapy. Radiation for brain cancer can be a lifesaver but it can also be a dramatic life changer. … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: repairing radiation damage, beta thalassemia clinical trial and disease models
The Stem Cellar 