Expanding Stem Cell Research
From the summer 2008 issue of UConn Momentum
The University of Connecticut has become a national leader in stem cell technology by leveraging its research strengths, interdisciplinary faculty teams and strong support from the state.
Capitalizing on UConn’s existing expertise in cell analysis and musculoskeletal care, the University is creating an interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, located near the UConn Health Center in Farmington. The collaboration fostered by the institute may well be the determining factor in moving its already impressive successes from the lab bench to the bedside.
The director of the institute, Marc Lalande, Ph.D., is also chairman of the Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology. He believes that UConn is fewer than 10 years from perfecting stem cell therapies for use in human beings, and that the University’s work in stem cells is a natural fit for a public research university with the scope and depth of UConn.
“The Stem Cell Institute perfectly complements the vision of the University through its interdisciplinary work, world-class talent and potential for great things to come,” Lalande says.
Private funding for stem cell research at UConn will build upon support from the state of Connecticut. The University has received the majority of the state’s two funding initiatives for stem cell research in 2006 and 2008. While Connecticut is a leader in public funding for this groundbreaking research, there are still tremendous unmet needs for resources to hire researchers, purchase state-of-the-art equipment and support cross-disciplinary study.
Working with Lalande and the University, the UConn Foundation has identified a need for two endowed chairs that will allow the institute to recruit Nobel Laureate or National Academy of Sciences-caliber faculty researchers. According to Lalande, “the two endowed chairs will allow UConn to build on our areas of research excellence in musculoskeletal biology and therapy and in quantitative and computational cell biology.”
Private funding is also being sought to name the institute, support laboratory equipment and contribute to the stem cell research seed fund. Traditionally, research seed funds have generated $15 in external funding for every private dollar received.
Stem cell research will remain a priority in the short- and long-term outlook for the University, a point echoed by the incoming leadership at the UConn Health Center.
“When we look to the future of stem cell research, it’s clear that we will only be able to see our vision with the support of our philanthropic partners,” says Cato Laurencin, M.D., vice president for health affairs at the UConn Health Center and dean of the School of Medicine.
To contribute to UConn’s efforts in stem cell research, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
