News: PCC Only California Community College To Receive $1.72 Million Stem Cell Research Grant

Pasadena City College continues to be at the forefront of stem cell research by securing a $1.72 million Bridges to Stem Cell Research Award from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

The award will serve to support and enhance further development of the college’s existing stem cell biology training program which incorporates a wide range of internship opportunities, a rigorous curriculum, substantive auxiliary training opportunities, and stem cell techniques coursework at a CIRM-funded Shared Research Laboratory.

“This type of technology could lead to cutting-edge medical discoveries that would lead to a better quality of life for the world,” said Dr. Paulette J. Perfumo, president of PCC. “Ours will be the only community college with students working on this extremely important research.”

The CIRM Bridges program will provide up to 30 one-year internships over three years. PCC has existing partnerships with all of the host institutions for the program, including the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the University of Southern California (USC) and USC affiliate, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). The internship/training program adds to the college’s existing biotechnology certificate program, the only community college training program for careers in biotechnology and biosciences in Los Angeles County.

CIRM approved funding the Bridges to Stem Cell Research Awards, which totaled $17.5 million. PCC was the only community college of the 11 awarded institutions to receive these funds.

The programs funded by these Bridges grants will provide comprehensive lecture and laboratory courses, facilitate internship placement, and advise and mentor students on research progress and career opportunities. The graduates of these programs will have the expertise needed to staff California’s expanding stem cell research laboratories in both industry and academic organizations.

“The Bridges grants are critically important to the future of regenerative medicine in California. Without personnel trained to carry out this research, the field won’t move as quickly as we would like. Funding Bridges grants now will give those schools time to establish their programs for the 2009-2010 academic year,” said Alan Trounson, president of CIRM.

Release Date: 03/24/2009
Contact: Juan F. Gutierrez , Director, Public Relations
Phone: (626) 585-7315
Email: jfgutierrez@pasadena.edu