Summer 2013

www.sanfordburnham.org | PORTAL 1

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 3 | SUMMER 2013

The New Frontiers of Cancer ResearchThe Latest in Prostate Cancer ResearchWelcome Dr. Garth Powis

Y O U R D O O R W A Y T O S C I E N T I F I C D I S C O V E R Y

PORTAL | www.sanfordburnham.org2

INTERIM SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Blair BlumVICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS

Deborah RobisonVICE PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Edgar M. GillenwatersVICE PRESIDENTS, PHILANTHROPY

Paul BakerStephanie Boumediene, M.P.H.Philip Graham, M.B.A.EDITOR

Patrick Bartosch COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

DESIGN

Creative Fusion

ON THE COVERClockwise from left: Our new cancer center director Garth Powis, Ph.D.; cancer stem cells; scientists in Dr. Powis’ lab; cancer scientists use state-of-the-art technology to accelerate research

A Letter from Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D. 1Welcome Dr. Garth Powis 1The New Frontiers of Cancer Research 2Stephen Williams: Athlete and Activist 4Talking with a Scientist: Ze’ev Ronai 5The Latest in Prostate Cancer Research 6Racing Against Prostate Cancer 7Meet a Young Scientist: Emily Smith 8Introducing Dr. László Nagy 9Pedal the Cause 10Upcoming Events 11Recent Events 12Community Outreach 13Partners in Science Back Cover

FOUNDERSDr. William H. and Lillian Fishman

HONORARY TRUSTEESRoberta and Malin Burnham Joe Lewis Conrad T. Prebys T. Denny Sanford

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

M. Wainwright Fishburn, Jr.CHAIRMAN

Duane J. RothVICE CHAIRMAN

Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D.PRESIDENT AND INTERIM CEO

PROFESSOR AND PAULINE AND STANLEY FOSTER PRESIDENTIAL CHAIR

Gary F. Raisl, M.B.A., Ed.D.EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

TREASURER

Margaret M. Dunbar, J.D.SECRETARY

Lorenzo BerhoJames C. BlairShehan Dissanayake, Ph.D.Daniel J. EpsteinPauline M. FosterPatrick J. GeraghtyAlan A. GleicherJeanne L. Herberger, Ph.D.Brent JacobsJames E. Jardon IIDaniel Kelly, M.D.Robert J. LauerJ. Bernard Machen, D.D.S., Ph.D.Hank NordhoffDouglas ObenshainPeter PreussAndrew J. Viterbi, Ph.D.Allen R. WeissGayle E. WilsonEX-OFFICIO

Todd Golub, M.D.SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD CHAIRMAN

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 • 858-646-3100

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827 • 407-745-2000

www.sanfordburnham.org Toll-free: 1-877-454-5702

Y O U R D O O R W A Y T O S C I E N T I F I C D I S -C O V E R Y

www.sanfordburnham.org | PORTAL 1www.sanfordburnham.org | PORTAL 1

Every so often people ask, “Where are we with cancer research? What progress have we made?” These are complicated questions, since it seems the more answers we uncover about cancer, the more questions we generate. But questions are the fuel of scientific discovery. Each new experiment sets out to answer a question, and with each new answer we build on our knowledge.

This issue of Portal will give you a glimpse of the progress we’ve made with cancer research and the new leads we’re following.

Now is the perfect time to introduce you to the new director of our National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, Garth Powis, Ph.D. Dr. Powis is an accomplished cancer researcher whose leadership will further enhance our world-class laboratory research programs and drug discovery capabilities. I look forward to working with him as we translate our research findings into novel approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment. (See sidebar.)

Please join me in congratulating Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D., on his appointment as scientific director of our La Jolla headquarters. Dr. Ronai is also associate director of our Cancer Center and director of our Signal Transduction Program, posts he has held since 2004. (Read more on page 5.)

Thank you for supporting cancer research, and all of our research here at Sanford-Burnham. Our progress is made possible by donors who believe in and support our mission.

Sincerely,Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D.

PRESIDENT AND INTERIM CEOPAULINE AND STANLEY FOSTER

PRESIDENTIAL CHAIR

Please join us in welcoming Garth Powis, Ph.D., who began work as professor and director of our NCI-designated Cancer Center on May 1. He also assumes the Jeanne and Gary Herberger Leadership Chair in Cancer Research. Dr. Powis follows Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., who had served as Cancer Center director since 2005 and is currently Sanford-Burnham’s president and interim CEO.

Dr. Powis is a molecular and translational pharmacologist with more than 350 publications and 15 patents. He is a U.K. native, where he trained at Oxford University. He worked at Mayo Clinic, becoming deputy chair of Pharmacology; at the University of Arizona Cancer Center as director of Basic Research; and most recently at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he served as chair of Experimental Therapeutics and director of the Center for Targeted Therapy.

Dr. Powis’ research focuses on the mechanisms that enable cancer cells to survive stress. His work has resulted in three novel cancer drugs currently in clinical trials. His expertise encompasses all stages of cancer drug discovery and development, from early target identification to clinical studies.

“I am looking forward to this new opportunity to build upon the already exceptional basic research taking place at Sanford-Burnham, both in cancer and other areas,” Dr. Powis said. “I hope to also bring an increased translational focus with a particular goal of tailoring new cancer therapies to individual patients, moving toward personalized or precision medicine. I believe all researchers should be proud to say their work has in some way helped patients.”

A Letter from Dr. Kristiina Vuori

Welcome Dr. Garth Powis


NEW FACESIn the past few months, we’ve welcomed a new director of our National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, Garth Powis, Ph.D. Meanwhile, the Cancer Center’s former director and its associate director have taken on new or expanded roles. Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., is now interim CEO, in addition to being president of the Institute. Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D., has been appointed scientific director of Sanford-Burnham’s La Jolla campus.

We are grateful that we’re able to recruit from among the brightest minds in cancer research, and proud that we provide our faculty with opportunities to keep growing professionally. Get to know Dr. Powis on page 1, and Dr. Ronai on page 5.

NEW RESEARCHNaturally, the science itself continues to change. At any

given moment, around the world, scientists are taking tiny steps in understanding, which—every so often—add up to a great leap forward. In addition, new paths in research periodically rise up and offer new promise; personalized medicine and cancer metabolism are two of these paths.

Personalized medicine is the tailoring of treatments to a patient’s specific genetic and epigenetic makeup. One way treatments can be personalized is to recreate the patient’s disease using laboratory-generated stem cells in a “disease in a dish” model. We have described many examples of this technology in this publication and on our blog, Beaker (beaker.sanfordburnham.org).

Cancer metabolism refers to the way that cancer cells take in and use nutrients or how they behave when starved. Exploring this process

has led to new discoveries about how cancer works and how we might beat it at its own game. Earlier this year, our researchers identified a protein that makes tumors paradoxically more aggressive when starved for nutrients. Jorge Moscat, Ph.D., led that study in close collaboration with Maria Diaz-Meco, Ph.D.

Drs. Diaz-Meco and Moscat and their teams, also recently discovered how a particular enzyme suppresses prostate tumors, providing a new therapeutic target for the disease. You can read more about this work on page 6.

NEW COLLABORATIONSCollaborations with pharmaceutical companies and clinical partners are crucial to take our research to the next stage. We recently signed a new collaborative agreement with Mayo Clinic to build a pipeline of therapeutic

The New Frontiers of Cancer ResearchCancer research looks much different today than it did 5, 10, or 37 years ago, when Sanford-Burnham was founded. The body of knowledge expands and evolves, the people conducting the research learn and grow, and new people—like you—step forward to support the hard work that’s continuously needed.


drugs aimed not just at cancer, but at a variety of diseases that represent unmet medical needs. Under this agreement, Mayo Clinic scientists will work with researchers in our Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics to discover potential new medicines.

The agreement builds on a yearlong pilot phase and expands the number and scope of drug discovery projects derived from Mayo Clinic researchers that are currently being conducted here at Sanford-Burnham.

“We’re looking forward to further engaging with our Mayo Clinic collaborators

as we develop innovative screens to identify chemical compounds that modulate the activity of clinically relevant targets,” said Michael Jackson, Ph.D., vice president of drug discovery and development at Sanford-Burnham.

NEW SUPPORTERSThis is where you come in. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re already supporting our research, and we thank you. Why not reach out to a friend and share this publication? Without a continuous stream of new donors, enthusiastic about research and full of hope

for the future, we cannot fully explore each new lead in the quest to understand cancer. Read about one of our donors, Stephen Williams, featured on the cover page and on page 4. The better we understand this disease—which we now know is not one, but more than 200 different diseases—the more hope we have to treat or cure it.

Unfortunately, many new cancer cases will be diagnosed—a staggering 4,500 every day, according to the American Cancer Society. But science will continue to offer more hope all the time.

Group photo of our NCI-designated Cancer Center scientists

Cancer scientists use state-of-the-art technology to accelerate research

Metastatic cancer cells


Stephen Williams has supported Sanford-Burnham for more than 20 years by making financial contributions, attending special events, and serving two terms on the Board of Trustees. But what’s really got him animated lately is Pedal the Cause, which combines two of his passions—cycling and cancer research.

An avid handball player as well as a cyclist, Williams says, “I love sports, I love to compete, and I’m a big fan of Sanford-Burnham.” When his friend and former Sanford-Burnham CEO John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., suggested Williams ride in the new, two-day event, Williams didn’t hesitate. (Learn more about Pedal the Cause on page 10.)

As is the case with many of our friends, Williams first met Malin Burnham, and then was introduced to the Institute. Williams recalls, “When I first moved to San Diego 25 years ago, I asked around to find out who played handball and somebody said, ‘Call Malin Burnham.’ Malin and I have been playing almost every Friday afternoon ever since. So I’ve gotten to know him quite well

and it’s been a fabulous friendship.” (We’re continuously grateful to Malin for being such an influential ambassador for the Institute.)

Williams adds, “Malin and Denny [Sanford] are both great people, great philanthropists.”

Williams co-founded SENTRE (pronounced “sentry”) Partners, a commercial real estate, investment, and management company that currently manages three million square feet from San Diego to Orange County, Calif. “We’ve been involved in some of the biggest projects in San Diego,” he says. He also co-founded Mexican industrial real estate fund Vesta with Sanford-Burnham trustee Lorenzo Berho; in fact, it was Williams who recommended Berho for the Board in 2011.

As with many philanthropists, Williams’ giving is closely tied to personal experiences. Williams lost his mother to breast cancer and his father to multiple myeloma. He says, “As you get older, these things happen to more of your friends and loved ones and you start thinking, ‘What can I do to help the cause?’ I want to help the cause.”

For the past five years, Williams has enjoyed taking part in a San Francisco-to-San Diego cycling fundraiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Sanford-Burnham trustees Brent Jacobs and Wain Fishburn have sometimes ridden at his side, swapping stories along the way. This year, he’ll stay closer to home, making the loop from La Jolla to Julian and back, the longest of three Pedal the Cause routes.

“My hat’s off to Bill [Koman] for founding Pedal the Cause. He’s got world-famous triathletes involved, and the makings of a really great, successful ride. It’s going to take a lot of work and outreach, but it’s going to be worth it. I’m really looking forward to it. It was an easy check to write.”

As much as he loves cycling, Williams keeps his eye on the end goal. “You never know when and where a big idea is going to come that will change the world. It could happen at one of the research institutes in Torrey Pines, and it could happen at any time. Sanford-Burnham has a world-class reputation and world-class scientists so they could be at the right place, at the right time.”

TALKING WITH A DONOR

Stephen Williams:Athlete and Activist



Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D., says that it was Sanford-Burnham’s collaborative culture that drew him to the Institute in 2004. Now, he gets to take a leading role in driving that collaboration. Dr. Ronai was recently appointed to the position of scientific director of the La Jolla campus.

In this role, he will oversee scientific program development and faculty recruitment, retention, and development. Dr. Ronai will also work with our scientific leadership, faculty, and administrative staff to further promote the Institute’s collaborative culture.

SANFORD-BURNHAM’S TEAMWORK“Science today integrates different areas of expertise more than ever before,” he explains. “It’s not enough to do outstanding work in biochemistry, cell biology, or bioinformatics alone, we have to integrate them. None of us is an expert in all of the disciplines. Yet, we have all of the expertise in-house, so now it’s just a question of how we best team up to create the most competitive projects.”

Dr. Ronai is also a professor and associate director of our National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, as well as director of the Signal Transduction Program. He has authored nearly 250 peer-reviewed research publications.

As scientific director, he says, “I will be looking for research areas with great unmet needs and the most suitable

collaborative teams that could develop timely, exciting research in areas that have not been explored before. Our ability to promote such collaborations will not only foster better science, but likely result in more competitive grant applications.”

He mentions that a number of research interest groups exist throughout the Institute, and new ones are constantly forming. These groups bring together researchers from across the Institute, regardless of program affiliation, to meet periodically and discuss exciting unpublished findings or a topic of shared interest. An emerging experimental therapeutics interest group is among those Dr. Ronai plans to launch shortly. A number of successful collaborations have spun out of these interest group discussions, touching on many different disease areas.

CLINICAL COLLABORATIONS SPUR INNOVATIONCollaboration doesn’t just take place within the Institute. Sanford-Burnham’s motto is “From Research, the Power to Cure” and, according to Dr. Ronai, the “Power to Cure” part often requires outside collaboration with medical centers. This bench-to-bedside teamwork allows Sanford-Burnham’s scientists to use patient samples to validate initial findings made in their labs.

Dr. Ronai’s own research team has reached out to clinical oncologists and pathologists

Talking with our Scientific Director:Ze’ev Ronai

Continued on Page 11


PKCζ Keeps Prostate Cells in CheckMaria Diaz-Meco, Ph.D., Jorge Moscat, Ph.D., and their teams found that PKCζ controls the activation of a pro-tumor gene called c-Myc. Normally, a chemical alteration by PKCζ keeps c-Myc in check. But PKCζ levels are low in prostate cancer and other cancerous tumors, leaving c-Myc free to enhance cell growth and metastasis. Their latest study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that restoring PKCζ could provide a new approach to treating prostate cancer.

Previous studies suggested that PKCζ might act as a tumor suppressor—but that wasn’t clear in the case of prostate cancer. In their recent work, the Diaz-Meco/Moscat team learned of PKCζ’s role after genetically engineering mice so they lacked the enzyme altogether.

“In this study, we assessed the role of PKCζ in prostate cancer, and for the first time we used a mouse model in which PKCζ is missing. We were able to demonstrate

The Latest in Prostate Cancer ResearchWorking in close collaboration, two labs in our National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center recently discovered how an enzyme called PKCζ suppresses prostate tumor formation. Their finding could lead to new ways to control disease progression.

that it’s actually a tumor suppressor,” Dr. Diaz-Meco said. “But, I think the major advance in this paper is that we found out how PKCζ suppresses prostate cancer.”

Targeting Pkcζ to Treat Prostate CancerThe team determined that PKCζ suppresses tumors in cooperation with a gene called PTEN. PTEN has long been known to act as a tumor suppressor, and it’s also well-established that its mutated form is common in prostate cancer.

But the loss of normal PTEN function alone doesn’t lead to aggressive prostate cancer. According to this study, the loss of PKCζ and the resulting over-active c-Myc are also needed for aggressive prostate cancer to develop.

In the future, potential approaches to treating prostate cancer may involve activating PKCζ through gene therapy; or new prostate cancer therapies could be developed that inhibit c-Myc in the absence of PKCζ.

Top: Jorge Moscat, Ph.D., and Maria Diaz-Meco, Ph.D. Below: Prostate cancer cells expressing a mutant form of c-Myc that cannot be altered by PKCζ (left) are more aggressive and more invasive than prostate cancer cells in which PKCζ is able to keep tabs on c-Myc (right).


Brett Troia is a passionate triathlete who has participated in one of the most challenging competitions in the world: the Ironman triathlon. In September 2008, he competed in a triathlon at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and raised more than $1,700 for prostate cancer research. But the most challenging race of his life was yet to come. What he didn’t know at that point was that he had cancer himself.

Brett was 41 years old when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After his regular PSA test came back higher than usual, Brett’s urologist recommended a biopsy. The PSA test—the underlying

technology of which was first developed by Sanford-Burnham’s Eva Engvall, Ph.D., and her mentor—is often used for prostate cancer screening. Yet an invasive biopsy is currently the only reliable option to confirm the existence or absence of cancer. Brett, shocked by the PSA test results, underwent the biopsy and, fortunately, was diagnosed before it was too late.

Brett underwent a robotic prostatectomy at Florida Hospital. He bounced back quickly. Eight months later, he competed in his next triathlon and achieved his personal best time. He clearly won the race—as part of the triathlon and against his cancer.

An invasive biopsy is currently the only reliable option to confirm the existence or absence of prostate cancer.

Ranjan Perera, Ph.D., associate professor in the Diabetes and Obesity Research Center at Sanford-Burnham at Lake Nona, is looking for a better way to diagnose prostate cancer.

He and his team focus on early prognostic markers – genetic signposts – they can detect in a patient’s blood sample.

Once Dr. Perera’s techniques advance to the clinic, doctors will use them to confirm the presence of cancer and determine its aggressiveness. Using Dr. Perera’s markers to diagnose prostate cancer will be more certain and less expensive than current methods. Patients like Brett will not have to endure invasive, risky biopsies. This is just one example of cancer research with the potential to improve and save lives.

Racing Against Prostate Cancer

PORTAL | www.sanfordburnham.org8 PORTAL | www.sanfordburnham.org8

Emily Smith, Ph.D., always had a passion for biology and medicine. She says her science teacher in high school sparked her interest in the field. “Everybody probably has one teacher who makes an impression on them, who really makes an impact on their life. For me, that person was my science teacher.”

As a postdoctoral fellow (postdoc) in the lab of Daniel Kelly, M.D., scientific director at Sanford-Burnham’s Lake Nona campus, Dr. Smith is studying skeletal muscle fuel metabolism. “Skeletal muscle has the capacity to burn large amounts of glucose and fatty acids,” she says, “meaning that understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating these fuel-burning pathways may lead us to novel treatments for obesity.”

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded Dr. Smith her very first research grant earlier this year. Receiving a first grant is an important milestone in every scientist’s career; not only do grants provide critical funding, they also help young scientists build their reputation within the scientific community. These grants allow scientists to expand their research

and provide a certain level of independence within their teams.

Postdocs like Dr. Smith are the lifeblood of Sanford-Burnham. While they gain knowledge and experience, working under seasoned faculty scientists, they also contribute fresh energy and ideas. Dr. Smith has maintained the enthusiasm she found in high school, and developed it into a promising career.

That same high school teacher who inspired Dr. Smith helped her secure a biotech internship in her junior year. The company was a pioneer in animal cloning and while she was there, the first cows and pigs were successfully cloned. “There couldn’t have been a more exciting time to be an intern.” she says, looking back.

After high school, she enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majored in genetics, then continued to a

biomedical sciences Ph.D. program at the University of Florida in Gainesville on a prestigious Alumni Graduate Fellowship.

Once she completed her Ph.D., Dr. Smith could have applied for research positions anywhere, but in the fall of 2011 she decided to pursue a postdoctoral fellow position at Sanford-Burnham. “Sanford-Burnham was a perfect fit for my focus area. The opportunity to work with prestigious scientists like Dr. Kelly was another important factor in my decision,” she adds. Her academic record, experience, and positive attitude quickly convinced everyone who interviewed her that she was a great candidate for the job.

“While being a postdoc can sometimes be exhausting and challenging, I truly enjoy my work and I believe that we can make a difference in people’s lives,” she says. “And that’s what all medical researchers ultimately want!”

Meet a Young Scientist:

Emily Smith


Dr. László Nagy to Head New Multi-Disciplinary Research Program in Lake NonaIn October, we’ll welcome another new face in the fight against disease—László Nagy, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Nagy will join us as professor and program director in our Diabetes and Obesity Research Center at Sanford-Burnham’s Lake Nona campus.

A renowned genomics expert, Dr. Nagy will lead a new cross-platform research program that will help accelerate basic laboratory discoveries and translate them into new diagnostics and therapies. He comes to us from the University of Debrecen Medical and Health Science Center in Hungary, where he is currently professor and head of the Center for Clinical Genomics and Personalized Medicine.

“László is an international expert in studies of how genes are turned on and off in different cell types and at different times, particularly in response to hormones,” said Daniel Kelly, M.D., professor and scientific director of the Diabetes and Obesity Research Center at Lake Nona. “He will apply his expertise in genomics to decipher the complexity of processes driving cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.”



WHAT Pedal the Cause— San Diego cycling fundraiserWHEN October 26-27, 2013WHERE La Jolla to Julian, Calif., with several courses of varying lengthWHO Riders of all abilities or “virtual” ridersBENEFICIARIES Sanford-Burnham, UCSD Moores Cancer Center, and the Salk Institute REGISTRATION www.pedalthecause.org

Sanford-Burnham is proud to be a beneficiary of San Diego’s first annual Pedal the Cause, the region’s only multi-day cycling fundraiser for cancer research. Proceeds from Pedal the Cause will benefit the three area National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers: Sanford-Burnham, UCSD Moores Cancer Center, and the Salk Institute. In March, we announced that these three organizations would join together to form a collaboration known as the Cancer Centers Council, or C3.

We invite you to participate in this worthwhile event. Ride from coastal San Diego to the mountain town of Julian alongside scientists, professional athletes, and people of all experience levels. Whether you are a beginner or advanced rider, you’ll have access to online training plans from world-class Ironman triathletes Paul Huddle, Roch Frey, Paula Newby-Fraser, Heather Fuhr, and cycling legend John Howard. These professional coaches will also host monthly training rides and training webinars.

There are three courses of varying length. You can even participate as a “virtual” rider if you’re not in San Diego—or if you simply prefer to fundraise from the comfort of your home

Pedal the Cause has been tremendously successful in raising millions for cancer research in other cities, including St. Louis and Boston. We hope you will take part in this fun two-day event and show your support for C3. Join Team Sanford-Burnham and ride along with us, join Dr. Garth Powis’ “Powis Power Riders” virtual team or start your own. No matter how you choose to participate, you’ll be making a difference for cancer research.

UpcomingPedal the Cause



UpcomingUPCOMING EVENTS

October 2-4The Atlantic Meets the PacificSanford-Burnham is proud to take part, once again, in The Atlantic Meets the Pacific. The conference, presented by The Atlantic magazine and the University of California, San Diego, will focus on health, particularly as it intersects with science and technology. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to visit our Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics. Our president and interim CEO, Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., will take part in a panel discussion.

Register now at atlanticmeetspacific.com

November 2Sanford-Burnham GalaWe’re off to the races planning our next unforgettable gala, “On the Track to Discovery.” We hope you’ll join us for a fun evening in support of medical research. Save the date and start picking out your fanciest racing day hat!

at Yale University to validate findings made in melanoma, and to prostate cancer oncologists at the Vancouver Prostate Center to confirm their findings. (Read more about these studies on our blog at beaker.sanfordburnham.org.)

In both cases, these collaborations helped the team establish the clinical relevance of their research. These partnerships are also helping Dr. Ronai and his group develop cancer-related proteins into markers that can be used to monitor disease. They’re also working to develop new

anti-cancer therapeutics that target these proteins.

EARLY INSPIRATIONSThroughout a long,

successful career, Dr. Ronai has retained his excitement for scientific research.

In his second year of undergraduate studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, he says, “I went to one of the toughest laboratories at the medical school and asked the professor leading this lab for a volunteer summer position. I was lucky to get in. By the end of the summer, I had paved

the way to my master’s thesis. More important, that research experience turned on the fire that has been driving my scientific interest, excitement, and the desire to answer critical questions in the most meaningful way ever since. I hope that my trainees and colleagues capture this same fire, which is the secret for driving the challenging, often twisted, roads of research.”

Dr. Ronai’s excitement for science shines through both in his laboratory and in his scientific leadership.

Continued from Page 5

Ze’ev Ronai



RecentRECENT EVENTS

The winning team, from left to right: Brandon Heess, Kim Renna, Michele Bart, Christina McCabe, Nicole Lomitola, Ryan Hiller, and Paul Jacobson in front.

Florida Angel Alan Ginsburg (left), Sanford-Burnham’s president and interim CEO Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., and special guest T. Denny Sanford (right).

Stephen Gardell, Ph.D. (left), Leader Stephen L. Precourt, Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, Daniel Kelly, M.D., Ph.D. (right)

Vipul Patel, M.D., FACS (left), Daniel Kelly, M.D., Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., Ranjan Perera, Ph.D. (right).

Event co-chairs Jerry Sanders (left), Rana Sampson, Stath Karras, and Terry Karras (right) share a laugh.

Camp Bring It! 2013

Florida Angels Dinner

A Celebration of Collaboration with the International Prostate Cancer Foundation

Florida Cabinet Meeting



RecentRitva Koukku-Ronde, the Finnish Ambassador to the U.S., visited our La Jolla campus in March to take a tour and meet president and interim CEO Dr. Kristiina Vuori, a native of Finland.

From left to right: Dr. Hidde Ronde, Honorary Consul Kathrin Mautino, Ambassador Koukku-Ronde, Dr. Vuori, Consul General Kirsti Westphalen, and Abdellatif Moufakkir.

Congressman Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, recently sat down with many of San Diego’s life-science leaders for an informal discussion about the future of the industry. Senior leaders of such companies as Life Technologies, Orexigen, and ResMed, attended. Our own Dr. Vuori spoke on behalf of nonprofit research in San Diego. She’s pictured here with Rep. Issa (left) and Greg Lucier, CEO of Life Technologies (right).

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PARTNERS IN SCIENCE

Pauline Foster and Dr. Kristiina VuoriIn 2010, when Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., was named president of Sanford-Burnham, Pauline Foster generously endowed the Pauline and Stanley Foster Presidential Chair.

When Dr. Vuori was named interim CEO this January—in addition to her continuing role as president—Mrs. Foster stopped by to congratulate her, and to hear about the latest developments in Dr. Vuori’s cancer research. Thanks, in part, to Mrs. Foster’s support, Dr. Vuori is well-equipped to continue doing significant work, both as a scientist and as an executive.

Summer 2013

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