Chancellor Marye Anne Fox appointed Edward Holmes, vice chancellor of health sciences and dean of UCSD School of Medicine, to an independent committee that will oversee California’s new stem cell research institute.
Proposition 71, which passed in the Nov. 2 election, authorized the sale of $3 billion in bonds to pay for stem cell research. The proposition gave Fox — as well as each of the four other chancellors at UC campuses with medical centers — the right to appoint one member to the Independent Citizens Oversight Commission created by the ballot measure.
“[The chancellor wanted to] identify a leader with a good, broad background in life sciences, which [Holmes] has,” campus health sciences communications director Leslie Franz said. “[Holmes is] committed to multidisciplinary efforts [and he is] very well connected.”
Under the proposition, Holmes and other members of the committee will administer the new California Institute for Regenerative Medicines.
Members of the ICOC will regulate the funds of the institute and also create a process by which scientists can apply for grants and conduct research, according to Holmes.
“[The ICOC] will assure citizens that funds are used to fund the very best science,” he said. “[The ICOC will ensure that] research is conducted in an ethical way, a way we can all be proud of.”
In addition, the appointees to the ICOC will select members of subcommittees that will work on specialized tasks concerning the institute.
Under regulations set up by Proposition 71, the subcommittees must be organized within 30 days after the ICOC first meets, which will happen once all members of the committee have been appointed.
“[We still have to] develop a process through which people can apply for grants,” Holmes said. “[And we have to] name the people on these subcommittees. [We’re] going to be very busy.”
The ICOC will be composed of 29 members, including one representative each from UC campuses at Irvine, San Francisco, Davis, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Other members of the board will be appointees of public officials like the governor and state treasurer, members of nonprofit research institutes and disease advocacy groups, and representatives of the business community.
“[The chancellor probably] wanted the appointee to hold a senior executive office within the university — people who are in the health sciences field,” Holmes said. “The offices we hold are determining factors [in the selection].”
Other recently named appointees to the ICOC include La Jolla-based Salk Institute for Biological Studies President Richard Murphy, Dean of UCSF School of Medicine David Kessler, Vice Chancellor of Medical Sciences at UCLA and Dean of UCLA School of Medicine Gerald Levey, Dean of UC Davis School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences Claire Pomeroy, and UC Irvine Dean of School of Biological Sciences Susan Bryant.
Murphy, who is personally acquainted with Holmes, said that the two men have discussed areas of mutual scientific interest in the past and that he looked forward to working together.
“I’m delighted to serve,” Murphy said.
While the first 30 days of his time on the ICOC will most likely be spent working on the subcommittees, Holmes said he has high hopes for the future of the institute for stem cell research.
“[This is] an extraordinary opportunity for the state of California,” Holmes said. “This will be a really wonderful opportunity to further enhance the collaboration that takes place here, [including people from] all walks of scientific life. [This is] an opportunity for all of San Diego.”
