Comments on: California’s stem-cell management disarray

By: VentureBeat » Stem-cell institute gets a new president, but its management challenges haven’t gone away

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:59:06 +0000

[...] Hopes are obviously high that the widely respected Australian scientist, pictured at left, can bring some stability to the institute, formally known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. A string of CIRM staffers, including former president Zach Hall and chief scientist Arlene Chiu, have departed or announced their resignations in the past several months, despite the fact that the agency is finally starting to get rolling with major grant programs for stem-cell science and research facilities. Although CIRM insists that these departures are individual decisions unrelated to any larger issue, it sure looks like the agency’s heavy responsibilities, lean staffing and Byzantine management structure are simply burning out its employees. (CIRM insiders have since confirmed that assessment in confidence. See my previous coverage here.) [...]

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:52:31 +0000

In case that last comment doesn’t make it through the spam filter, I’d like to point out that Mrs. Darnovsky’s group is an anti-regenerative medicine lobbying group mentioned favorably on many pro-life and Catholic websites. As such, her organization may be consider to be nothing more than a proxy for the agenda of the Catholic church.

Does your organization also oppose distribution of condoms in HIV-plagued South Africa, Mrs. Darnovsky?

By: Marcy Darnovsky

Marcy Darnovsky — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 01:08:20 +0000

David,

Allegations of plagiarism aren’t the only eyebrow-raiser about Cha Regenerative Medicine and CIRM’s approval of a $2.6 million grant for it to do somatic cell nuclear transfer. As we (Center for Genetics and Society) noted at the time, Cha also runs a fertility clinic, and the (recently departed) director of that clinic is the subject of a lawsuit filed by a patient who says he lied about the disposition of her eggs and embryos.

To top it off, Cha’s stem cell researchers and fertility clinic are in the same building on Wilshire Blvd in LA.

Acquiring women’s eggs for cloning-based stem cell derivation is dicey – invasive, potentially dangerous, and ethically fraught.

CIRM’s approving this outfit is troubling. Dale notes that an administrative review of the grant to Cha is still underway. It would not speak well for the agency’s stated commitments to the highest ethical standards were that money to go out the door.

The CGS press release is here: http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=3123

Best
Marcy Darnovsky
Associate Executive Director
Center for Genetics and Society

By: David P. Hamilton

David P. Hamilton — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:36:14 +0000

David, thanks for your comment. I’m certainly not downplaying CIRM’s achievements — the first paragraph of my item listed several of its major accomplishments, in fact. I am, however, noting that the agency seems to have trouble hiring or retaining talented staff at the very moment when it should be coming into its own as the nation’s largest dispenser of stem-cell funding. Why is that? You don’t offer any additional explanations, so it still seems pretty likely that the strain on CIRM’s staff remains severe. I’m not alone in thinking this — see, for instance, Christopher Scott’s piece in the Sacramento Bee today (hat tip: Dave Jensen).

As for Bob Klein, I acknowledge that he’s accomplished a great deal, both as the primary mover behind Prop. 71 and chairman of the ICOC. It’s impossible to escape the impression, however, that he’s not the easiest person to deal with as ICOC chairman, particularly if you happen to be the president of CIRM. I intended no denigration of the ICOC membership, but it’s a bureaucratic fact that when you have a 26-headed hydra trying to run a public agency, whoever controls the agenda and many if not most staff resources effectively directs the body’s effort — and that’s more or less what Bob does.

As always, I welcome alternative evidence, and I have been known to change my mind on occasion. Thanks again for your contribution, and please feel free to write in again at any time.

By: VentureBeat » California’s stem-cell management disarray

VentureBeat » California’s stem-cell management disarray — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:52:25 +0000

[...] just the latest challenge for the organization. David Hamilton, at VentureBeat LifeSciences has the update: ….it seems safe to say that the stem-cell agency is probably one of the most grueling places [...]

By: VentureBeat » California’s stem-cell management disarray

VentureBeat » California’s stem-cell management disarray — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:52:25 +0000

By: David Serrano Sewell

David Serrano Sewell — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 06:05:48 +0000

David,

The correction noted by Dale is not the only mistake here. The only thing is “disarry” is this article. Bob runs the show? Gimme a break. You may find this hard to believe, but people want to work with him, so he’s been a plus in our efforts to recruit a president.

David, with all our faults, I challenge you to find a state agency that has been more effective. Those grants don’t just happen, it takes hard work and lots of meetings. And, we’ve been transparent throughout the entire process. Thus, the system envisioned by Prop 71 works. I can appreciate that it’s your job to read the tea leaves and make some half baked spin, but you’re just wrong here.

We continue to search for a president and adhere to the mission. It’s a talented group, we can walk and chew gum and the same time.

Best,

David Serrano Sewell, ICOC member

By: Dale Carlson

Dale Carlson — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:14:37 +0000

One factual correction: CIRM did not “hand out” a $2.6 million grant to the CHA Regenerative Medicine Institute last spring, nor have we subsequently. The grant was approved by the CIRM governing board, but like all board-approved grants, it is subject to administrative review before it can be funded. That review is still underway.

Dale A. Carlson
Chief Communications Officer
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine