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Dear Salk community,
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April brings us news of awards, advances in stem cell research and events.
The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research has awarded Salk $3 million to continue investigating the biology of human aging, and from the lab of Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte came information about a new technique to expand the ability of stem cells to regrow any tissue type. I am also pleased to share that Eiman Azim, an assistant professor in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, has been named a 2017 Searle Scholar. This award is given to just 15 researchers every year in the chemical and biological sciences.
In events news, 10 research associates and graduate students received the 2017
Salk Women & Science Special Award
at the March forum to help support their research.
As part of the Institute's role in educating the public about the value of scientific research to society, firstly, preparations are underway for Salk's participation in this Saturday's
March for Science
. At last count, more than 200 people who work at Salk had committed to marching in downtown San Diego.
Additionally, I'm pleased to announce that on April 13th
,
TIME
magazine published my essay, which advocates for continued government funding of scientific research and also protests the proposed cuts to the NIH budget, on their website:
http://ti.me/2omEB4l
.
As a Salk Institute representative, in this way I join our voice with those of many others across the nation. Opportunities such as these elevate science to the headlines and remind society of its importance to our world, our families and ourselves.
On happier musical notes, the final concert of the fourth
Salk Science & Music Series
is April 30, and August 26 is the date of our 22nd
annual
Symphony at Salk
. Mark your calendars!
Recently, I had an opportunity with my Telomere Effect co-author Elissa Epel to share scientific research on telomeres in a podcast on The People's Pharmacy (Show 1073).
Finally, I am pleased to share an important new announcement: Salk's establishment of a Cancer Center Director's Fund. This will be dedicated to spearheading the ambitious new research directions our Salk cancer researchers are pursuing in their continued quest for novel avenues into cancer therapies.
Please read on for more information.
Yours in Discovery,
Elizabeth Blackburn
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Salk's research center on aging receives additional $3 million gift from Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
Salk has received a $3 million award from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research for the second time in 4 years, enabling the Institute to continue investigating the biology of normal human aging and age-related diseases.
The award supports the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at the Salk Institute, which was established in 2009 with a $5 million gift from the Glenn Foundation.
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Salk scientists expand ability of stem cells to regrow any tissue type
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Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte and Jun Wu
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The lab of Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, along with researchers at China's Peking University, have discovered a chemical cocktail that enables cultured mouse and human stem cells to stably generate both embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues (like the placenta). This may allow stem cell researchers to regrow any tissue type. The work appeared in the journal Cell on April 6, 2017.
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Salk researcher Eiman Azim named Searle scholar
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Eiman Azim
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Eiman Azim, assistant professor in Salk's Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, has received the prestigious Searle Scholar award. The scholarship provides $300,000 to support scientific research for each scholar over the next three years. Azim will use the funding to explore the function of a set of neural circuits in the spinal cord thought to convey movement-related information.
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The People's Pharmacy invited Salk President Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel to discuss the scientific research in their
New York Times
bestselling book,
The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer
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Inside Salk
hot off the presses
In addition to a Q&A with Salk's new board chair, the summer issue of
Inside Salk
features articles on the microbiome, Salk's architectural revamping, breakthrough discoveries and much more.
Interested in getting on our mailing list to receive the print version of
Inside Salk?
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Your support makes it possible for Salk to recruit and retain top-tier scientists, acquire the latest cutting-edge technology, and fuel innovative research initiatives, all of which provide extraordinary opportunities for scientific discovery. To donate to the Cancer Center Director's Fund, please indicate in the special instructions.
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Ten postdoctoral trainees and graduate students have received this year's Salk Women & Science Special Award to pursue their high-risk, high-reward research. The awardees were announced at the spring forum, which also included a panel discussion with women in leadership roles in science, technology and business.
The next Salk Women & Science forum is July 11. For more information about the program and the awards initiative, contact Betsy Collins at (858) 500-4883 or
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The Salk Science & Music Series concludes its fourth season with a jazz concert by the
Helen Sung Quartet
at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, April 30, in the Conrad T. Prebys Auditorium. Comprising the science component of the afternoon, Salk Assistant Professor
Nicola Allen
of the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory will discuss her research.
- April 30, 2017 - Helen Sung Quartet with Nicola Allen
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Salk Institute science images
This month's image comes from
a recent press release
from Salk scientist Xin Jin. The work may open new avenues for treating disorders both in cases where a person cannot select a movement to initiate, like Parkinson's disease, as well as those in which someone cannot stop repetitive actions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or drug addiction. Blue indicates cell nuclei, green indicates dopamine neurons labeled with green fluorescent protein.
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