The recent gift of $75 million to the School of medicine at Stanford from Lorry I. Lokey to build a stem cell institute may kick start another round of innovation in Silicon Valley.  The gift will make possible a 200,000 square foot facility to be known as the Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building with a ground breaking ceremony Oct. 27th, 2008 and completion by summer 2010.  ”Stem cells are going to be as significant as the silicon chip that created Silicon Valley,” said Lokey. 

Work in the building will cover the full array of stem cell research, including studies in embryonic and adult cells, in cancer stem cells and in the development of disease-specific stem cell lines.  “Scientists in the fields of stem cell and cancer research are on the brink of discoveries that may soon affect the understanding and treatment of disease,” said Irving Weissman, MD, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor for Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research and the stem cell institute’s director. 

Stanford will become the epicenter in the United States for stem cell research with this facility, bringing top research talent to Silicon Valley. 

Posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 11:17 am. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.