Scientists at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA received two comprehensive research grants from the state as part of the second round of funding for embryonic stem cell research since voters approved Proposition 71 in November 2004.
The two UCLA grants total more than $5 million over four years and will be used to fund research on neural cell repair and therapeutic strategies to target HIV. The grant submitted by Guoping Fan, UCLA assistant professor of human genetics, scored 95 points out of 100 ? the highest score awarded to any grant by the selection committee during this round of funding.
The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state organization that oversees Proposition 71 funding, received 70 grant applications totaling more than $175 million from researchers at 23 nonprofit institutions. Of those, 29 were funded, totaling $75 million.
Dr. Owen Witte, renowned scientist and director of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA (ISCBM), said he was pleased that two UCLA researchers were awarded grants.
“These grants are given to scientists with a record of accomplishment in stem cell research, and I’m proud to have two ISCBM researchers among the grant winners, which represent the top scientists in California,” Witte said. “This funding will enable us to continue fostering leading-edge interdisciplinary collaborations and build upon our existing body of knowledge in stem cell science for the benefit of people worldwide.”
The funded grants at UCLA include:
– Principal investigator Guoping Fan: $2,516,613
– Principal investigator Jerome Zack: $2,516,831