David Brenner named Sanford Burnham Prebys President and CEO

“I could not be more grateful to accept the position of President/CEO at this world-class biomedical research institute,” says David A. Brenner, M.D. “My roots are in biomedical research, and it’s an honor to be selected to lead Sanford Burnham Prebys’ extremely talented, innovative researchers."

Brenner joins Sanford Burnham Prebys following more than 15 years as vice chancellor for Health Sciences at UC San Diego, where he presided over the largest expansion of health sciences and hospitals in the school's history.

“I’ve known about Sanford Burnham Prebys for many years—it has so much to offer. The culture of encouraging scientists to pursue opportunities and collaborating with institutions in San Diego and beyond leads to breakthrough research and makes it possible to achieve incredible goals,” adds Brenner.

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Erkki Ruoslahti wins America’s top biomedical research award

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., has been announced as one of three winners of the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the most prestigious American award for biomedical research, for his transformational research leading to the discovery of the cell adhesion receptors now known as integrins.

“Winning the Lasker Award is the dream of many American researchers working in biomedicine,” says Ruoslahti. “I am honored to have been recognized by the Lasker Foundation for my work and thankful for Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute for supporting me throughout much of my scientific career.”

Ruoslahti is the first Institute researcher to ever win the Lasker Award, known as “America’s Nobel.”

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Peter Adams named Mentor of the Year at 21st Annual Research Trainee Symposium

Peter Adams, Ph.D., has been named Mentor of the Year, a new honor from the Institute’s Office of Education, Training and International Services and the Postdoctoral Training Advisory Group.

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Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers awarded $6.4M to advance treatment for substance use disorders

Professor Nicholas Cosford, Ph.D., has been awarded $6.4M from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to test new potential drugs to treat opioid and methamphetamine use disorders. The three-year project will be completed with partners from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Camino Pharma, LLC.

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Ani Deshpande and Jianhua Zhao receive their very first NIH grants

At the faculty retreat this month, Ani Desphande, Ph.D., and Jianhua Zhao, Ph.D., were pleased to have President/CEO David A. Brenner, M.D., present them with framed replicas of their very first NIH awards.

Deshpande will study developmental processes in stem cells that get hijacked by cancer, focusing specifically on acute myeloid leukemia, one of the most common types of blood cancer. 

Zhao's grant will allow his lab to study the assembly of proteasomes and protein complexes which may create new approaches to anticancer therapies

Caroline Kumsta receives the coveted WOW award at the faculty retreat

A highlight of the recent faculty retreat was the presentation of the WOW award to Caroline Kumsta, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program. WOW stands for Wonderful Original Work and is awarded based on votes from scientists attending the retreat. Brooke Emerling, Ph.D., co-organizer of the retreat, gave the award to Kumsta for her presentation titled, “Regulation of Autophagy in Aging."

How a single protein could unlock age-related vision loss

Francesca Marassi, Ph.D., is helping to reveal the molecular secrets of macular degeneration, which causes almost 90% of all age-related vision loss.

The study, published recently in the Biophysical Journal, describes the flexible structure of a key blood protein involved in macular degeneration and other age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis.

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Inhibiting key metabolic enzyme shows promise against melanoma

Research led by Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D., has shown for the first time that inhibiting a key metabolic enzyme selectively kills melanoma cells and stops tumor growth. Published in Nature Cell Biology, these findings could lead to a new class of drugs to selectively treat melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer.

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WHY DO I NEED A WILL?

Everyone should have an estate plan to support their future and protect the people, things and causes they love. A legal will is the best way to:

• Protect the people, pets and communities you love
• Save your family stress and complications by giving instructions on how to handle your estate
• Give to the causes and charities you love most

HOW DOES FREEWILL HELP?

FreeWill is a free, quick and intuitive online tool that guides you through the process of creating your legal will. For more complex estates, FreeWill can be used to document your wishes before seeing an attorney.

In the process of writing your will, you have the option to include a planned gift to Sanford Burnham Prebys or any charitable organization you choose, advancing their work for generations to come. FreeWill is available for your use whether or not you choose to give to any cause.

To get started, visit sbpdiscovery.org/FreeWill. If you have already made a gift to us in your will, thank you! Please let us know by filling out the form at sbpdiscovery.org/ReportGift.