Australian head of California’s stem-cell institute could help globalize stem-cell research
Just a day after the publication of my article wondering whether the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) could capture a big fish as its leader, CIRM announced that it had hooked a big fish.
News reports (links below) hailed the appointment as a coup. Alan Trounson founded the Australian Stem Cell Centre and helped produce the world’s third test-tube baby. He’s also started companies, including the Singapore-based ES Cell International.
One strength that has not been highlighted is Trounson’s potential to link US scientists with those in the Asia-Pacific region. He has been very active in efforts to found an Asian-Pacific Stem Cell Network, and quite vocal about the advantages that that region has for stem cell research. When meeting with leading stem-cell scientists from around the region in June, Trounson was emphatic in discussing the need for political champions.
See our article here.
Trounson also has experience working successfully in a highly politicized environment. Though largely unnoticed in the US, Australian politicians and scientists launched a successful campaign to make somatic cell nuclear transfer legal.
In short, Trounson has shown scientific and political acumen in the land down under. I hope he thrives in the Golden State.
Here is some coverage from other news outlets and blogs.
The Associated Press,
The California Stem Cell Report,
Los Angeles Times,
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Francisco Chronicle,
San Jose Mercury News,
The Sydney Morning Telegraph.
