Creating a ‘bespoke’ approach to rare diseases

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Up until recently the word “bespoke” meant just one thing to me, a hand-made suit, customized and fitted to you. There’s a street in London, Saville Row, that specializes in these suits. They’re gorgeous. They’re also very expensive and so I thought I’d never have a … Continue reading Creating a ‘bespoke’ approach to rare diseases

IBSC directors bring in nearly $12 million to fund the future of bimolecular research at UC Santa Cruz

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Left to right: Lindsay Hinck and Camilla Forsberg UC Santa Cruz professors Camilla Forsberg and Lindsay Hinck are not only pushing boundaries in their field as the female-led program directors of the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells (IBSC), they’ve also been looking for ways … Continue reading IBSC directors bring in nearly $12 million to fund the future of bimolecular research at UC Santa Cruz

A Match Made in Heaven, if heaven were in Oakland!

The Matchmaker - by Gerrit van Honthorst Throughout history, matchmakers have played an important role in bringing together couples for arranged marriages. Fast forward to today and CIRM is now playing a similar role. We’re not looking to get anyone hitched, what we are trying to do is create partnerships between people we are funding … Continue reading A Match Made in Heaven, if heaven were in Oakland!

A model for success

Dr. Maria Millan, CIRM's President & CEO Funding models are rarely talked about in excited tones.  It’s normally relegated to the dry tomes of academia. But in CIRM’s case, the funding model we have created is not just fundamental to our success in advancing regenerative medicine in California, it’s also proving to be a model … Continue reading A model for success

Charting a new course for stem cell research

What are the latest advances in stem cell research targeting cancer? Can stem cells help people battling COVID-19 or even help develop a vaccine to stop the virus? What are researchers and the scientific community doing to help address the unmet medical needs of underserved communities? Those are just a few of the topics being … Continue reading Charting a new course for stem cell research

CIRM & CZI & MOU for COVID-19

Too many acronyms? Not to worry. It is all perfectly clear in the news release we just sent out about this. A new collaboration between the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) will advance scientific efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by collaborating on disseminating single-cell research that … Continue reading CIRM & CZI & MOU for COVID-19

Super stem cell exhibit opens in San Diego

The best science museums are like playgrounds. They allow you to wander around, reading, watching and learning and being amazed as you go. It’s not just a feast for the mind; it’s also fun for the hands.  You get to interact with and experience science, pushing buttons, pulling levers, watching balls drop and electricity spark. … Continue reading Super stem cell exhibit opens in San Diego

Roadmap to our epigenome reveals the genetic switches that make one adult cell type different from others

A decade ago scientists made a huge news splash when they announced the completion of the human genome project declaring it the first road map of our genes. But it did not take long to realize that the early road map was like some of the early days of GPS systems: it lacked knowledge of … Continue reading Roadmap to our epigenome reveals the genetic switches that make one adult cell type different from others

How partnering with someone half way around the world could help develop new treatments here in California

Much as we love California, and we really do, even we have to admit that genius knows no boundaries and that great scientific research is taking place all over the world. As our goal as an agency is to accelerate the development of successful therapies for people in need it only makes sense that we … Continue reading How partnering with someone half way around the world could help develop new treatments here in California