June 2009
BIOTECH PARK NEWS
VBDC Executive Director Featured on NPR
David Lohr, Executive Director of the Virginia Biosciences Development Center, was featured on June 25, 2009 on NPR to discuss the VBDC’s recent partnership with JNetDirect Biosciences Inc., as well as Richmond’s growing biotechnology industry.
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Richmond is Ranked Sixth Best Place in the Nation to Start Over
Richmond is ranked the sixth-best place in the nation to start over for someone who has been laid off or is just looking for a career or lifestyle change, according to BusinessWeek.com. The region has a good mix of industries such as food, chemical and tobacco manufacturing, along with biotech.
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JNetDirect Biosciences Sees Silver with Virginia Biosciences Development Center
JNetDirect’s biotechnology division, JNetDirect Biosciences, is pleased to announce a partnership with the Virginia Biosciences Development Center (VBDC) at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond as a Silver Sponsor. JNetDirect Biosciences is a national distributor of biotechnology software, equipment, and supplies headquartered in the Dulles Technology Corridor in Northern Virginia.
AWARDS, HONORS AND GRANTS
VCU Massey Cancer Center Library Dedicated in Honor of Lois E. Trani
Volunteers and friends of Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center celebrated the dedication of the Lois E. Trani Patient Resource Library at Stony Point today. Mrs. Trani, wife of VCU President Eugene Trani, Ph.D., has a strong interest in providing information to help people cope with serious illnesses such as cancer.
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Michael Sesnowitz Retires as Dean of VCU School of Business
Michael Sesnowitz, Ph.D., will retire as dean of the VCU School of Business on July 1 and join the Department of Economics as a professor. David Urban, Ph.D., who has served on the VCU faculty for 20 years, will serve as interim dean.
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Dr. James P. Bennett Jr. Appointed Chair of VCU Neurology
Virginia Commonwealth University announced today that James P. Bennett Jr., M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed chair of the Department of Neurology and founding director of the VCU Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Multidisciplinary Research and Clinical Center.
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NEWS and RESEARCH@VCU
VCU Dedicates Third Dental School Building
Virginia Commonwealth University today dedicated a $20 million addition to the VCU School of Dentistry, Virginia’s only dental school. The new building is named in honor of alumnus and former Board of Visitors Rector W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr., D.D.S.
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Researchers Identify Gene That Regulates Tumors in Neuroblastoma
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified a gene that may play a key role in regulating tumor progression in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer usually found in young children. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to inhibit the expression of this gene.
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VCU Massey Cancer Center Offers Breast Cancer Patients New Clinical Trial for Symptom Relief During Chemotherapy
The Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center is now enrolling patients in a clinical trial for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who seek relief from symptoms associated with chemotherapy. The study will test the effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation on common symptoms including pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia.
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