Susan Bryant, a Leading Researcher in Limb Regeneration, Joins 29-Member Commission

Susan V. Bryant, a leading researcher in limb regeneration and the dean of the School of Biological Sciences at UC Irvine, has been appointed by Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone to the Independent Citizens Oversight Commission -- a commission that will govern the stem cell research institute approved by California voters in the Nov. 2 election.

The passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, authorizes $3 billion worth of bonds -- an average of $295 million per year for 10 years -- to fund stem cell research and facilities in the state. Bryant is one of 29 members appointed to the ICOC. The term for those appointed to the commission by the UC chancellors is eight years.

"It is an honor to be appointed to the ICOC," said Bryant. "And it is exciting to be in a position to fund research that holds tremendous promise for people with debilitating diseases. This initiative is not promising instant cures, but it is promising an instant research focus on the capabilities of stem cells. Treatments for intolerable diseases are closer to reality as more research on stem cells takes place." (See Q & A at end of the release.)

Bryant, who also will continue in her post at UCI, became dean of the School of Biological Sciences in 2000. Prior to that, she held several administrative positions, including the assistant vice chancellor for plans and programs and the chair of the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology at UCI, and program director of the National Science Foundation Developmental Biology Review Panel. She also serves on the editorial boards of several journals in her field. In 2001, she was elected a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The author of more than 100 articles published in leading scientific journals, Bryant gained international repute when she pioneered the development of molecular techniques for studying regeneration.


Q & A with Susan Bryant:

Q. What will be your role as one of the 29 people appointed to the ICOC?

As the UCI appointee to the ICOC, I will be involved in establishing the best practices of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine -- a virtual research institute whose task is to decide which research proposals to fund. To accomplish this, we will set up a mechanism for the fair review of such proposals. The ICOC's final decisions will be based on recommendations from working groups of experts.

Q. What specific new research will the stem cell research institute make possible?

Proposition 71 provides research funding for work on stem cells, without limiting the number of stem cells lines available. The major source of biomedical research funding nationally, the National Institutes of Health, was restricted by President Bush on Aug. 9, 2001, to a few already existing stem cell lines, and many of these lines were found to be quite inadequate. This restriction has artificially constrained research, and has made it unattractive to new investigators. It has also jeopardized the leadership role of the United States in biomedical sciences.

Q. What is the currrent stage of stem cell research in California and how will the new institute impact the state?

There is tremendous potential in California in the area of stem cell research, much of which has been dormant due to the inaccessibility of federal research funding. Scientists are forced to work in areas where they can obtain research funding. It is virtually unprecedented that an area of research has been cordoned off as unfundable, especially when this area of research is central to the understanding of human health and disease. The Institute for Regenerative Medicine will have a huge impact on the state, because the number of labs choosing to work on stem cells and the progress of research on stem cells will accelerate due to the availability of funding. The effect will be long lasting because during this special decade, made possible by Californians through their support of Prop. 71, not only will major advances be possible, but students also will be encouraged to enter the stem cell field, as opposed to being discouraged from it.

Q. What impact is the institute likely to have nationally and internationally?

California has taken a leadership role in the nation by voting for this initiative. The future of medicine is in regenerative medicine -- in assisting our bodies to heal themselves. The study of stem cells is the first step along this road. It may take several decades before we reap the benefits of stem cell research, or it may take only a few years -- it is not possible to predict. But we can say that California is starting down the road that will eventually lead to advances that will have health benefits for everyone in the nation and in the world, especially for those who are suffering from chronic, debilitating diseases. This initiative will attract the best scientists in the world to California universities to participate in this bold initiative. As in all early stage ventures, there will eventually be intellectual property from the discoveries that will benefit both the state and the nation. Without the initiative, this exciting research would, over time, be carried out in other countries and neither California nor the United States would be able to fully participate in the resulting discoveries. This would be damaging to the future economy of the country. But perhaps the most important of possible outcomes is that during this decade in California, and in the rest of the world where this research is encouraged, we will participate in discovering how to help the body to repair the damage of injury and disease and restore function.

Q. How will the first installment of the $3 billion be used?

The institute will fund research facilities -- including buildings -- and equipment proposals. One of the early priorities for funding will be proposals for facilities. Because NIH funds all areas of biomedical research except this one, and because NIH is prohibited from funding research on unapproved stem cell lines, it will be essential to keep a clean separation between research and facilities that are funded by NIH and those that are funded by the Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This means there will be a desire to fund facilities using funding from the initiative as early as possible.

Q. How will the new institute impact the recruitment of new faculty at California universities?

Because the voters of California have created a funding stream for stem cell research that will last a decade, this will provide a strong incentive for scientists elsewhere in the country, who are interested in discovering the secrets of stem cells, to seek opportunities to move to California to participate in the stem cell 'gold rush.'

[For related University of California press release, see "UC Makes Appointments to Stem Cell Oversight Commission" at http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2004/nov17.htm.]


About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with approximately 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,300 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.

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