At first glance, Lauren Miller Rogen and David Higgins, PhD, seem an unlikely pair. She’s an actor, writer, and director and has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. He has a doctorate in molecular biology and genetics and has worked at some of the most well-known companies in biotech. But together they … Continue reading Hollywood and Patient Advocacy – two people who are on our Board but never boring
Parkinson’s Institute
Creating an on-off switch to test stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s Disease
Sometimes you read about a new study where the researchers did something that just leaves you gob smacked. That’s how I felt when I read a study in the journal Cell Stem Cell about a possible new approach to helping people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). More on the gob smacking later. But first the reason … Continue reading Creating an on-off switch to test stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease and Stem Cells
Lila Collins, PhD A few weeks ago we held a Facebook Live "Ask the Stem Cell Team About Parkinson's Disease" event. As you can imagine we got lots of questions but, because of time constraints, only had time to answer a few. Thanks to my fabulous CIRM colleagues, Dr. Lila Collins and Dr. Kent Fitzgerald, … Continue reading Parkinson’s Disease and Stem Cells
200 years later, the search for a cure for Parkinson’s continues
On the surface, actor Michael J. Fox, singer Neil Diamond, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly would appear to have little in common. Except for one thing. They all have Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Their celebrity status has helped raise public awareness about the condition, but studies show that awareness doesn’t amount … Continue reading 200 years later, the search for a cure for Parkinson’s continues
Stem Cell Stories That Caught Our Eye: Halting Brain Cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Stem Cell Awareness Day
Stopping brain cancer in its tracks. Scientists at Stanford Medicine discovered that you can halt aggressive brain cancers called high-grade gliomas by cutting off their supply of a signaling protein called neuroligin-3. Their research, which was funded by CIRM and the NIH, was published this week in the journal Nature. The Stanford team, led by … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories That Caught Our Eye: Halting Brain Cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Stem Cell Awareness Day