World AIDS Day at the 3rd Annual Timothy Ray Brown Community Cure Symposium

Event recap written by guest writer Jacqueline Hantgan, CIRM Sr. Outreach Advisor for Outreach and Advocacy December is HIV/AIDS Awareness Month. To commemorate this important event, CIRM recently supported the 3rd Annual Timothy Ray Brown Community Cure Symposium which took place at the Palm Springs Art Museum on World AIDS Day−December 1, 2024. It was … Continue reading World AIDS Day at the 3rd Annual Timothy Ray Brown Community Cure Symposium

Patient Advocacy is its own reward

It’s always nice to be told you are doing a good job. It’s even nicer when it’s unexpected. That’s certainly the case when we, the Communications Team at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, found out we’d been named as a finalist for the Patient Advocacy Award (non-profit category) as part of the Phacilitate Advanced … Continue reading Patient Advocacy is its own reward

The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Members of NFOSD visiting UC Davis in 2013 At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are fortunate in having enough money to fund the most promising research to be tested in a clinical trial. Those are expensive projects, often costing tens of millions of … Continue reading The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial

Much to be Thankful for

It's traditional this time of year to send messages of gratitude to friends and family and colleagues. And we certainly have much to be thankful for. Thanks to the voters of California, who passed Proposition 14, we have a bright, and busy, future. We have $5.5 billion to continue our mission of accelerating stem cell … Continue reading Much to be Thankful for

“A new awakening”: One patient advocate’s fight for her daughters life

We often talk about the important role that patient advocates play in helping advance research. That was demonstrated in a powerful way last week when the CIRM Board approved almost $12 million to fund a clinical trial targeting a rare childhood disorder called cystinosis. The award, to Stephanie Cherqui and her team at UC San … Continue reading “A new awakening”: One patient advocate’s fight for her daughters life

Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1

Yesterday the CIRM Board approved funding for our 50th clinical trial (you can read about that here) It was an historic moment for us and to celebrate we decided to go back in history and hear from the very first person to be treated in a CIRM-funded clinical trial. Rich Lajara was treated in the … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1

Study highlights the problem patients have in taking part in clinical trials and one simple way to change that

Let’s face it, when you are feeling crummy all you want to do is be quiet, rest and not have to deal with anyone else. So, it’s not surprising that a new survey of people with primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) found that many were often less than enthusiastic about taking part in a clinical trial. … Continue reading Study highlights the problem patients have in taking part in clinical trials and one simple way to change that

A year in review – CIRM’s 2017 Annual Report focuses on a year of accelerating stem cell treatments to patients

At CIRM we have our focus very clearly on the future, on accelerating stem cell therapies to patients with unmet medical needs. But every once in a while, it’s a good idea to look back at what you have already done. Knowing where you came from can help you get to where you are heading. … Continue reading A year in review – CIRM’s 2017 Annual Report focuses on a year of accelerating stem cell treatments to patients

Getting faster, working smarter: how changing the way we work is paying big dividends

This blog is part of the Month of CIRM series Speeding up the way you do things isn’t always a good idea. Just ask someone who got a ticket for going 65mph in a 30mph zone. But at CIRM we have found that doing things at an accelerated pace is paying off in a big … Continue reading Getting faster, working smarter: how changing the way we work is paying big dividends

Treatments, cures and clinical trials: an in-person update on CIRM’s progress

Patients and Patient Advocates are at the heart of everything we do at CIRM. That’s why we are holding three free public events in the next few months focused on updating you on the stem cell research we are funding, and our plans for the future. Right now we have 33 projects that we have … Continue reading Treatments, cures and clinical trials: an in-person update on CIRM’s progress