In ceremonies held today at the Colorado Governor’s Residence at the
Boettcher Mansion, the first class of ‘Boettcher Investigators’ in the
Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program was introduced by Edward D.
“Ted” White III, Chairman of the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees.
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.; Gregory Downey, M.D., Executive Vice
President of Academic Affairs at National Jewish Health and Professor of
Medicine, Pediatrics and Immunology at University of Colorado’s School
of Medicine; and Timothy W. Schultz, President and Executive Director of
the Boettcher Foundation, also spoke at this historic event.
The announcement is made by Denise M. Brown, Interim Executive Director
of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), who says the Boettcher
Foundation’s new program fills an important unmet need by assisting
early-career investigators engaged in biomedical sciences in Colorado to
advance their research and honors the tradition of the Webb and Waring
families by investing in science that has the possibility of making
significant contributions to human health. Boettcher Foundation is a
2010 Gold Sponsor of the CBSA.
Governor Ritter said, “By supporting our early-career investigators, the
Boettcher Foundation brings resources to an area where funds are
currently lacking and where federal and private research programs
provide little support. Early-stage investigators have a difficult time
getting a first opportunity at an independent research effort that will
move them out of the laboratory of their mentors and into their own new
and exciting areas of discovery. The Boettcher Foundation continues to
serve the needs of Colorado in generous, visionary and innovative ways.”
The 2010 (Inaugural) Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring
Biomedical Research Program includes the following:
- Shaodong Dai, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Immunology,
National Jewish Health, Chronic Beryllium Lung Disease
- Robin Dowell, D.Sc., Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular
and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder,
Translational Bioinformatics Involving Drug Efficacy and Genetics
- Gidon Felsen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology and
Biophysics, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus,
Parkinson’s Disease
- Paul Jedlicka, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pathology,
University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Ewing Sarcoma, a
Common Cancer of the Bone and Soft Tissue Affecting Children
- Keith Neeves, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemical
Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Role of Blood Flow in the
Formation of Blood Clots
- Melissa Reynolds, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry,
Colorado State University, Nitric-Oxide Releasing Materials for
Cardiovascular Medical Devices
Individual grant amounts for these research projects range from $200,000
to $300,000. The grant amounts allocated varied based on funding
available to the institution and size of project. Per program
guidelines, the minimum budget was required to be $200,000.
“We’d announced the creation of the Program in 2008, as the result of an
innovative agreement among the Boettcher Foundation, Webb-Waring
Foundation for Biomedical Research and the University of Colorado,”
Schultz explains. “In the interim, we’ve worked long and hard with our
State’s Universities, public officials, the Governor’s Office, and the
bioscience industry in Colorado to understand the strategies in place
and to identify the best opportunity for investment by the Foundation of
more than $1 million each year into efforts to increase our
competitiveness in biomedical science.”
Dr. Downey said, “I want to express our appreciation and respect for the
manner in which the Boettcher Foundation has worked with the University
of Colorado, Colorado State University, National Jewish Health and
Research Center, and at least eight other prominent research
institutions in the State, in designing and implementing the new
Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. The Foundation’s process
brought us all to the table in a productive and creative dialogue.”
The Boettcher Foundation, its Trustees and institutional partners worked
together for over two years on the best way to acknowledge and celebrate
the scientific and public service legacy of the Webb and Waring
families. This new program will ensure that these legacies live in the
discovery of new knowledge that improves human health and in the
advancement of young scientists.
Early-career investigators (ECIs) are faculty members who are four years
or less from their first academic appointment at a research institution.
The grants through the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program support
the work of the promising ECIs in Colorado. The work is significant in
scope and impact and the grants provide support for major efforts in
biomedical science. Eligible investigators apply through competitive
processes established within their individual institutions.
“The Boettcher Foundation wanted the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research
Program to invest where the impact would be the most substantial, fund
excellence in people, partner with the State’s research institutions on
the implementation of the program and further the Webb and Waring
families’ long tradition of commitment to science and human health.
“The program enhances the mission of the Boettcher Foundation, which was
created by a visionary and pioneering family in Colorado to improve the
quality of life and opportunities for Coloradans. It is with gratitude
to these generous families that the Boettcher Foundation now introduces
the new Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program that will support the
important work of Boettcher Investigators,” Schultz concludes.
About the Boettcher Foundation
For over 70 years the Boettcher Foundation has served the people of
Colorado by investing in young minds through its Scholarship Program and
helping to build community infrastructure through capital grant making.
In virtually every community throughout the state, the Foundation has
partnered with outstanding nonprofits to make a difference in people's
lives. The Foundation believes that this is what the Boettcher family
intended when they gave their wealth to establish the Foundation for the
benefit of the citizens of Colorado. For more information, visit .
About the Boettcher Foundation's Webb-Waring Biomedical Research
Program
The Webb-Waring Institute was founded in 1924 by Dr. Gerald B. Webb and
later directed by Dr. James J. Waring. For over 80 years, the
organization has contributed to the advancement of biomedical research
by engaging in basic and clinical research and training research
scientists. In 2008, the Webb-Waring Institute became a part of the
University of Colorado and is now known as the Webb-Waring Center. The
Boettcher Foundation was entrusted with the stewardship of the
Webb-Waring Foundation's assets. Through an innovative agreement between
the Boettcher Foundation and the Webb-Waring Institute, a new funding
area was established at the Boettcher Foundation that will support the
work of early-career investigators in the biomedical sciences in
Colorado.
About Colorado BioScience Association
The CBSA supports the economic development of Colorado through the
creation of a premier bioscience cluster within the state. Representing
more than 400 members, the CBSA facilitates growth of the bioscience
industry in Colorado through advocacy, representation and service.
Poised to become one of the most exciting and advanced bioscience
clusters in the country, Colorado is currently home to a thriving
industry community of biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical,
health care providers, research institutions and those businesses
providing critical services and products to those companies. For more
information about Colorado's dynamic bioscience cluster, visit the CBSA
at .
CBSA also is found on these social media sites:
Twitter:
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Group:
Facebook
Fan Page:
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Feed:
YouTube
Channel:
Backgrounding Links:
PDF:
2010 Boettcher Investigators: One-sheet Overview -
PDF:
The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program: Executive Summary -
PDF:
The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program: Program Overview -
PDF:
The Webb-Waring Family Legacy -
