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discoveries into products and services that benefit patients (see Commercialization on page 30).
Auspiciously, abundant talent came through the door of the Gates Center during 2017. We recruited Mark Petrash, Ph.D., to augment his responsibilities as Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology by serving as Associate Director of the Gates Center. We also increased the size of the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility (GBF) staff to expand quality systems and put a trained team in place to deliver the first clinical-grade products by the end of 2017. The GBF expansion also accommodates the arrival of world- renowned cancer researcher Terry Fry, M.D., and other top researchers in 2018. Specifically, Ryan Chrisman, Ph.D., from Juno Therapeutics and Chris Garbe, M.S., M.B.A., from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are two stellar recruits who now hold positions as interim Facility Director and Director of Quality respectively (see New Faces at the Gates Center on page 45). Additionally, the center focused on the development of younger talent, with the arrival of 20 students in June for the third year of the increasingly popular
Gates Summer Internship Program (GSIP), and its ongoing support of the Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development (CSD) (see Education on page 39).
Finally, the Gates Center is grateful for the wonderful and ongoing gifts of all sizes it receives from its board, employees and friends. It is a pleasure to list our donors in this report and to thank them each year at our annual Charlie’s Picnic. Speaking of which, it was an absolute picnic to watch Diane Gates Wallach surprise and honor Rhondda and Peter Grant on that occasion in August 2017 as the first-ever recipients of the Gates Center “Charlie’s Angels” award.
With great appreciation,
Dennis R. Roop, Ph.D.
Director, Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine
Charles C. Gates Endowed Chair in Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology
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