 |
 |
Hooray for Governor Doyle, JAMES THOMSON had spoken to our Parkinson's Support group about 2 years ago. He is basically a shy guy who is self effacing and uncomfortable with the publicity that he has gotten. I am glad Doyle is doing this to keep him.. Otherwise I am sure he would leave the UW for California (and take his lab and his potential nobel prize with him) I guess the loss of Thomson would be a political loss for Doyle that would counterbalance the anger stirred up by the strong Right to Life lobby here in Wisconsin. Charles T.Meyer, MD Middleton Wisconsin Murray Charters wrote: >PRESS RELEASE: WISCONSIN POISED TO INVEST $750 MILLION IN RESEARCH >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE >11/17/2004 >CONTACT: Terry Devitt, (608) 262-8282, [log in to unmask] > >WISCONSIN POISED TO INVEST $750 MILLION IN RESEARCH > >MADISON - Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, taking a swing at keeping >Wisconsin competitive in the superheated world of biomedical >research, announced today (Nov. 17) that over the next several years >Wisconsin would invest up to $750 million, including more than $500 >million in new facilities and direct research support for scientists >at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. > >Speaking to reporters and technology leaders at UW-Madison's >Biotechnology Center, Doyle outlined a strategy aimed squarely at >bolstering Wisconsin biotechnology, health sciences and stem cell >research. > >"Wisconsin leads the world in groundbreaking biomedical research, but >we need to continue to move forward," Doyle said. "The state, in >partnership with the university and our other private partners, has >an aggressive and comprehensive strategy to ensure that we remain at >the forefront not only of scientific discoveries, but of creating >thousands of new high-tech jobs." > >Included in Doyle's plan are: > >-- A new $375 million public-private research institute, to be known >as the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. The proposed institute >would occupy the entire 1200 and 1300 blocks of University Avenue and >would become a massive interdisciplinary research center that would >combine biology, bioinformatics, computer science, engineering, >nanotechnology and other fields in one setting. The first phase of >the project would use $50 million, which already had been earmarked >for the fourth phase of the BioStar initiative. > >-- A new $134 million interdisciplinary research complex near >University Hospital and Clinics. The new center would be >translational in nature, helping bring basic research discoveries to >clinical fruition at a more rapid pace. > >-- $1.5 million annually to support research on Alzheimer's disease >at UW-Madison. > >-- A new $132 million research facility at the Medical College of >Wisconsin and Children's Hospital that will focus on infectious >disease control, cardiovascular illnesses and bioengineering. > >In addition, Doyle pledged to smooth the bureaucratic and legal >hurdles that impede the ability of faculty to take their innovations >to market, and to provide more venture capital for startup research- >based businesses through the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. > >The new strategy is designed to bolster the university's science >research infrastructure at a time when other states, notably >California through a recently passed referendum, will begin to invest >heavily in such things as stem cell research. > >Doyle and UW-Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley noted that over the >past decade, Wisconsin has positioned itself to compete through the >investment of more than $1 billion in new research infrastructure on >the Madison campus. What's more, they pointed to the university's >long-standing strengths in basic biology - biochemistry, genetics and >molecular biology, among many others - and a tradition of >interdisciplinary research as strengths that will help the university >recruit and retain talented faculty. > >"Other states are now playing catch-up," Doyle said. "But there are a >number of measures we're going to make to advance the work that goes >on here." > >"We haven't been sitting still," said Wiley. "It is incumbent on us >to advance this (stem cell) field." > >Stem cell pioneer James Thomson, a UW-Madison professor of anatomy, >explained that with access to the human genome, biology has entered a >new age. Stem cells, he said, are but one tool that will not only >help biomedical science develop new treatments for conditions such as >diabetes, Parkinson's disease and heart disease, but will help >unravel the causes of those diseases opening a door to their >prevention. > >Thomson added that Wisconsin is not just a leader in stem cell >research, but is a powerhouse in biology in general. > >"We are a world leader in embryonic stem cell research at Wisconsin, >but I'm actually fairly embarrassed at the amount of press that this >one area of research gets, because Wisconsin is a world leader in >most areas of biomedical research, and I don't think the average >person in Wisconsin appreciates that," Thomson said. > >"We are a population of 5 million people and we have a state >university, which is in the top 10 universities in the country - >private or public - in biomedical research by any measure you look >at, and that's something that people should be proud of. To maintain >this leadership position, there has to be a continuing investment. >There are states that are competing with us, and private universities >that are competing with us, and I think that the initiative that the >governor announced today goes a long way in maintaining this >leadership position in what is really an age of discovery." > >Both Wiley and Doyle placed emphasis on the importance of >interdisciplinary research and of building an institute where >scientists from many disciplines can work together and exchange >ideas. > >Biology and biotechnology have always been Wisconsin strengths, Wiley >said, but new fields such as bioinformatics and nanotechnology have >emerged in recent years. Creating opportunities for cross- >fertilization between emerging and established disciplines will only >strengthen Wisconsin's hand, he said. > >"All of these things are converging. That's the message for >technology of the future." > >"We need teams of technologists and biologists right next to each >other," said Biotechnology Center Director Michael Sussman. "We don't >need them in the building down the road. We need them in the office >across the hall." > >The proposed Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, he said, will >accomplish that. > >### > >SOURCE: University of Wisconsin / University Communications >http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/10446.html > >* * * >Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> >Please place this address in your address book >Please purge all others > >Web site: Parkinsons Resources on the WWWeb >http://www.geocities.com/murraycharters > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] >In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn