Global Expert to Lead Stem Cell Research Program at Women’s Guild Lung Institute and Regenerative Medicine Institute
Barry R. Stripp, PhD, a recognized expert in lung disease and stem cell research, has been named director of the new Lung Stem Cell Research Program, which encompasses the Women’s Guild Lung Institute and the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai.
Dr. Stripp comes to Cedars-Sinai from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., where he was a professor in both the Department of Medicine and in Cell Biology. At Duke, Dr. Stripp was a member of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, led by Paul W. Noble, MD, who is currently director of the Women’s Guild Lung Institute and chair of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. The recruitment of Drs. Stripp and Noble brings together two leaders in lung disease research whose highly interactive programs have potential to develop new treatments.
In May 2013, Dr. Stripp received a $5 million Research Leadership Award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for his innovative strategies in stem cell technology and regenerative medicine.
“The recruitment of Dr. Stripp to Cedars-Sinai and his recent CIRM grant are a reflection of his superb credentials and recognized contributions to the field of lung disease, regenerative medicine, and stem cell technology,” says Dr. Noble. “Having a $20 million endowment, thanks to Women’s Guild’s visionary support, allows Cedars-Sinai to attract leaders of this high caliber to our program. We are pleased to welcome an outstanding scientist and educator of his stature to Cedars-Sinai and trust his contributions will result in improved treatments for patients locally and globally.”
Focused on lung disease, including pulmonary disease, the Lung Stem Cell Research Program will bring together researchers and clinicians to discuss stem cell therapies, provide core services that generate clinically relevant stem cell populations, and use disease-specific stem cells to explore mechanisms of cell death in human lung disorders.
“Through the work of Dr. Stripp and this new program, we will be able to determine how lung disease is caused,” says Zab Mosenifar, MD, medical director of the Women’s Guild Lung Institute. “This understanding will lead to new therapies that may prevent the initiation or the progression of lung disease, which is the third-leading cause of death in the United States.”