April 2009
BIOTECH PARK NEWS
Virginia BioTechnology Park’s Chief Builder
A look at the Virginia BioTechnology Park’s President and CEO, Robert T. Skunda.
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U.S. Headquarters of Biocontrol International Inc. Established out of Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
As part of its ongoing development, Biocontrol Ltd. of London has established a U.S.-based affiliate, Biocontrol International Incorporated. Based at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond, Virginia, the new company is intended to facilitate activities in the important U.S. market and will support both U.S.-based collaborations and a range of development activities.
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Venebio Signs Teaming Agreement with Solveritas, LLC
Venebio Group, LLC, announces the signing of a teaming agreement with Solveritas, LLC under which the companies will collaborate on the commercialization of proprietary technologies developed by Solveritas.
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AWARDS, HONORS AND GRANTS
VCU Student Named Goldwater Scholar
Syed Mohammed Karim, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University, has been named a Goldwater Scholar, the premier national scholarship for undergraduate math, science and engineering students. Karim is the sixth VCU student to receive a Goldwater Scholarship in the past three years. Karim, who is from Gaithersburg, Md., and attended Colonel Zadok Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., is a member of the VCU Honors College majoring in chemistry.
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Researcher Honored by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Avanti Award in Lipids
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has named Sarah Spiegel, Ph.D., an internationally-renowned researcher and professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, a recipient of the Avanti Award in Lipids.
The award honors outstanding scientists whose research interests are in the field of lipids — fat-soluble, naturally occurring molecules, such as fats, oils, waxes and cholesterol.
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Massey Radiation Oncologist Becomes National “Czar” for Veterans Administration
Michael Hagan, MD, PhD, a VCU Massey Cancer Center physician-scientist specializing in radiation oncology, was appointed by the Veterans Administration to serve as its National Director of Radiation Oncology Services to help standardize and improve patient care in the VA national network.
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NEWS and RESEARCH@VCU
VCU Opens Molecular Medicine Research Building
Virginia Commonwealth University officially dedicated the $71.5 million Molecular Medicine Research Building, signaling the completion of a major phase of the modernization of the academic health sciences center. The eight-story, 125,000-square-foot research facility is the latest addition to the VCU Medical Center and will house 48 principal investigators and their staffs. The laboratory floors are designed with an open layout that encourages interaction among researchers across disciplines.
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Trani Built a Better VCU
Eugene P. Trani has been president of Virginia Commonwealth University for 19 years. Under his leadership, the university has become the largest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A large part of the inner city of Richmond has been transformed from what was a rapidly decaying part of our city into a bustling, vibrant area. All of us should be eternally grateful. The transformation has been truly amazing.
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VCU Survey Finds Support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Genetic Research and Testing
The most recent Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences survey shows that support for embryonic stem cell research has remained steady over the past few years at 57 percent of adults favoring the research. New scientific developments have changed the landscape of stem cell research. Seven-in-10 adults favor stem cell research when it does not involve human embryos, down slightly from 75 percent just after the November 2007 announcement that human skin cells can be used to create stem cells or their near equivalents. Support for embryonic stem cell research is similar to past years: 57 percent of adults favor embryonic stem cell research, while 36 percent oppose.
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