Page 6 - Gates-AnnualReport-2014

It has been a great pleasure to participate in the establishment and growth of the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine. Much has been achieved since the Gates family set their vision in motion with a generous gift to establish a stem-cell program and recruit its Director, Dennis Roop, PhD, Professor of Dermatology, in 2006. The year 2014, however, has been a banner year of accomplishment. Accelerating scientific discovery from the laboratory to new therapies in the clinics moved much closer to reality with the renovation of the space for the new Gates Biomanufacturing Facility. Likewise, collaborative research projects moved ahead in conjunction with many departments in the School of Medicine, and important funding successes were announced that will solidify the strong basic and translational stem-cell research in the Department of Dermatology in particular.
Dennis Roop continues to demonstrate his exceptional leadership in mobilizing groups in many departments to participate in research collaborations and securing the resources to move them forward. These include the superbly equipped Gates Center research cores, the expertise of a growing body of scientists and clinicians committed to stem- cell research and regenerative medicine, grants and awards
from Federal sources, foundations and individuals, and the exceptional opportunities that will be made available by the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility to investigators on our campus and beyond.
Finally, the Department of Dermatology has achieved a remarkable transformation through its partnership with the Gates Center. The first tangible example of this partnership was the receipt of a Skin Diseases Core Research
Center grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Skin Diseases (NIAMS) in September, 2009. As a result of outstanding progress during the first five years of this award, this center grant was renewed for another five years in September, 2014. This grant provides support for core facilities, as well as pilot and feasibility (P&F) projects. During the first five years, funds invested in P&F projects resulted in a 35-fold return on investment (the receipt of new larger grants from the NIH, VA and DoD). The basic research efforts being funded by these new grants in combination with improvements in the clinical research infrastructure in the Department of Dermatology are being carefully orchestrated to advance modern treatments for skin diseases. In this 2014 Annual Report, a summary of
the scope of stem cell research in the area of dermatology
is highlighted. Collaboration with the Gates Center is also benefitting stem cell-based research and treatment in many other specialties affecting patients with diseases in almost all organ systems.
I wish to congratulate Dennis Roop and the members of the Gates Center Community Advisory Board, led by Co-Chairs Diane Gates Wallach, Dan Ritchie and Don Elliman, for the great accomplishments of this year and their indispensable role in making this success possible.
Sincerely,
David A. Norris, MD
Professor and Chairman, Department of Dermatology University of Colorado School of Medicine
Anschutz Medical Campus
6 Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine