Appointment

Berk Named to New Stem Cell Board

Medical Center CEO Bradford Berk ’81M (MD/PhD) will be a key player in helping decide how New York distributes about $600 million in stem cell research funding.

Berk, who is also senior vice president for health sciences, was named this summer to serve on the Empire State Stem Cell Board, one of two panels created by state lawmakers to oversee the establishment of the new Empire State Stem Cell Trust Fund.

Created earlier this year as a provision in New York’s state budget, the fund establishes an 11-year, $600 million research program to support stem cell research. The initiative will be funded in part by a pool of money created when health insurance companies convert to for-profit status.

The legislation creates two panels to oversee the new law: One is for developing the funding and evaluation criteria for research grants and establishing standards of medical and scientific oversight; the other will focus on developing ethical guidelines for the research.

Berk was appointed to the funding committee by Sen. Malcolm Smith of St. Albans, the Democratic leader in the State Senate.

“I can think of no better choice than Brad Berk to serve on the Empire State Stem Cell Board,” says Smith. “His long list of accomplishments and vast experience in the area of stem cell research make him uniquely qualified to help New York State break new ground in the treatment of disease and advance forward in the innovation economy.”

Currently scientists are prohibited from using federal funds for stem cell research for all but a shrinking number of cell lines approved by the National Institutes of Health. As a result, several states have established funds to support stem cell research. New York’s investment is the second largest, behind only that of California.

About 40 Medical Center scientists are involved in stem cell research in some form or another, and their labs are funded with more than $68 million in research grants and employ 263 people.

Many of the scientists are internationally known for their work with stem cells in neurological disorders, cancer, and musculoskeletal diseases. The University also is in the process of establishing a Stem Cell Institute.

“New York is home to world-class universities, hospitals, and biotechnology companies and is poised to become an international leader in the field of stem cell research,” says Berk. “I am deeply grateful for Senator Smith’s appointment and look forward to serving on the Empire State Stem Cell Board. I strongly believe that the resources New York State has committed to stem cell science will reinforce our state’s leadership in medical research and ultimately create new jobs and companies and develop technologies that could potentially improve the lives of millions of Americans.”