Noted Golden West
Chapter ALS Advocate Diane Winokur to Serve on California Stem Cell Agency's
Governing Board
San
Francisco, California. (November 20, 2012) —
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From right to left- Diane Winokur, Dallas Forshew, RN, Hugh Winokur, and Dr. Catherine Lomen-Hoerth, director of The ALS Center at UCSF
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On November 19, 2012, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Diane Winokur as the amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) representative of the
Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee (ICOC), which is the governing body
of the California Institute
for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). CIRM was established through the passage of Proposition 71, the California
Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, to make grants and provide loans for
stem cell research, research facilities and other vital research opportunities.
“We are delighted that Diane Winokur has been
appointed to this prestigious and important position,” said Lucie Bruijn, Ph.D.,
Chief Scientist of The ALS Association. “Her contributions have been invaluable
and she will be a tremendous asset in moving the ALS research field forward
through CIRM funding.” The agency recently awarded 18 million dollars to Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., the 2010 winner of The ALS Association's Sheila
Essey Award for ALS research.
As a key advocate
in the field of ALS research, Diane has been an active leader nationally and
internationally in science and biotechnology and has a keen grasp of the
public-private partnership that drives innovation and discovery. Diane has been
an active board member of several nationally and internationally renowned
organizations. She served on The ALS Association's National Board of
Trustees for five years and is presently an officer on the Golden West
Chapter's Board of Directors. She also serves on the boards of the
Sanford-Burnham Institute and the Packard Center. Diane and her family
helped in founding the ALS Treatment and Research Center at the University of
California, San Francisco, a Certified Center of Excellence of The ALS
Association. Her direct experience with ALS inspired her commitment to
providing a deeper understanding within the scientific community of the disease
and the astonishing role that regenerative medicine holds in the search for
effective treatments and cures. Diane’s youngest son, Douglas, was diagnosed
with ALS in 1995 and passed away in 1997. Her oldest son, Hugh, was diagnosed
with ALS in 2005 and passed away in 2010.
“Diane Winokur is
a pillar of strength within the ALS community and is among California’s leading
voices about the opportunity and impact of ALS research,” said Fred Fisher,
President and CEO of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter. “While there has
been significant progress in the field of ALS research, we still have no way to
explain how Diane could lose two children to the non-familial form of the
disease. The ALS community still has far more questions than answers. CIRM
holds out great hope that we will have the technology that will not only help
us to better understand ALS but also find effective treatments to halt its
relentless progression.”
“The ICOC is
governed by 27 dedicated Californians representing patients, researchers and
the biotechnology industry whose knowledge, passion and commitment to CIRM's
mission has guided the organization since its inception,” said Kevin McCormack,
Senior Director of Public Communications and Patient Advocate Outreach.
“They serve on behalf of all of the people of California and provide
recommendations regarding funding, ethical standards and facilities. Our
patient advocates keep the agency's focus where it belongs- on the people who
need cures for chronic diseases and illnesses, including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, autism,
MS, and neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS.”
Honored to be
appointed to the ICOC, Diane commented: "I am so complemented by the Lieutenant
Governor’s confidence in me. I have been working in the field of
neurodegenerative research for almost twenty years and appreciate the toll that
these illnesses have on patients and their loved ones. I am challenged to be a
part of finding treatments and a cure through stem cells for ALS, MS and other
diseases.”
“While many share
our passion and commitment to ending Lou Gehrig’s disease, few people could
bring the knowledge, expertise and leadership necessary to fulfill this
important role at the ICOC,” Fisher added. “I can think of no person
better qualified to represent, not only the ALS community, but all of us who
see the role that CIRM will play in changing the landscape of neurodegenerative
disease discovery and treatment."
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