NYSCF News Update: Vol 15, Issue 2

REMEMBERING SUSAN

On September 8th, NYSCF’s beloved CEO and co-founder, Susan L. Solomon, died following a nearly six-year battle with ovarian cancer. Throughout her life, Susan rose to meet the most daunting challenges and achieve the impossible. Trained as a lawyer, she had an eclectic career that included stints in cable television, music, and media, but the creation of NYSCF, inspired by her frustration at the lack of advanced treatment for her son’s diabetes, was her crowning achievement. Founded at her kitchen table, it grew to become one of the world’s premier research organizations. And diagnosed with a devastating disease, she nonetheless pushed NYSCF to new heights with her unrelenting energy and verve.

At a memorial for Susan held at Rockefeller University, a diverse cast of luminaries and loved ones paid tribute to her many accomplishments. The service included musical performances from a childhood friend, the pianist Steven Blier; remarks from two former Directors of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, MD, PhD, and Harold Varmus, MD; and tributes from her colleagues, friends, and family. The common thread that ran through them all was the story of Susan’s determination, her passion, her love of mentorship, and her refusal to take no for an answer.

She left a double legacy: her cherished family, which included three sons, three daughters-in-law, six grandchildren, and her husband, Paul Goldberger; and NYSCF, where her colleagues continue to be inspired by the way in which, as Valentina Fossati, PhD, put it, “Susan would support you to make any idea, no matter how impossible, become reality. She showed us all that there is no ceiling above us.”

SHOWING UP FOR PATIENTS HIGH SCHOOL IMMERSIVE

A CELL THERAPY FOR PARKINSON’S YOUR DNA & INFECTIOUS DISEASE

NYSCF-funded research enters the clinic

How genetics may affect your risk of getting viruses Highlights of the NYSCF Gala

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Roy Geronemus, MD, Chairman

Derrick Rossi, PhD, Interim CEO

Susan L. Solomon*, Founding CEO

Margo Alexander

Marilyn G. Breslow

Peggy Brim

Karen E. Burke, MD, PhD

Francesco Clark

Paul Goldberger

George Lazarus, MD

Richard J. Massey, PhD

Paul M. Meister

Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil

Stephen M. Ross

Stephen M. Scherr

Kay Unger

Clyde Williams

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Katherine Bristor & William Priest

David A. Carmel

Russell L. Carson

Chuck Close*

Alan M. Cohen

Shirley Cook

Fiona Druckenmiller

Jodie & John* Eastman

Frank Gehry

Lawrence E. Golub & Karen Finerman

April Gornik

Marlene Hess

Tania Higgins

Dorothy Lichtenstein

Sandra Lloyd

Stephen Meringoff

David Mitnick

Nancy & Fred Poses

Carol Roaman

Julian Robertson*

David Rockwell

Clifford Ross

Kara Ross

Andy Russell

Susan & Stephen Scherr

Ian Schrager

Barbara Stovall Smith

Martha Stewart

David & Jane* Walentas

John Whitehead*

Dick Wolf

*In Memoriam

Dear Friends,

As we celebrate Susan’s memory and carry on her brilliant legacy, it is an honor for me to step into the new role of Interim CEO at NYSCF and to continue my longstanding commitment to an organization I believe in wholeheartedly. I first joined this community as a NYSCF –Robertson Stem Cell Investigator in 2010, which gave me the freedom to pursue the most promising science as it emerged, and years later I was delighted to join NYSCF’s Board of Directors. I have always admired NYSCF’s unique role in pushing innovative, patient-focused research forward, and we are now realizing game-changing results of this approach.

Twelve years ago, NYSCF set out to accelerate cures by building robots that would enable stem cell research at the scale of patient populations. The NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array® can now use automation to create high-quality stem cells from dozens of patients just as quickly as one scientist might be able to make them from one or two patients by hand. This constantly evolving platform has made large-scale studies of devastating diseases possible, as seen in our recent studies of PTSD and infectious diseases like Zika and COVID-19 (see page 6). These studies uncovered critical insights into these diseases that are paving the way for more effective, personalized therapies.

It was a delight to see so many friends and colleagues at this year’s NYSCF Conference, held in person once again at The Rockefeller University (see page 4). As we enter the new year, I look forward to seeing many of you at our spring events, which will similarly take place both in person and virtually, and will share encouraging updates on our clinical and research programs for macular degeneration, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

NYSCF remains as strong as ever, and we are committed to continuing our mission to find better treatments and cures. Thank you for your support – together there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season,

Derrick Rossi, PhD Interim Chief Executive Officer

NYSCF Gala & Science Fair

On October 11th, NYSCF convened scientists and supporters at Hearst Tower in Manhattan to celebrate this year's Gala theme of "Show Up for Patients." In addition to exchanging stories about loved ones affected by disease and sharing promising updates on our research, we paid tribute to our 2022 NYSCF Stem Cell Heroes:

Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil, Sanjay Gupta, MD, and Irving Weissman, MD, for their contributions to patients through science, medicine, and media.

Watch

Above: Jeff Wallerstein, Susan Scherr, Benay Taub; Margo Alexander; Kay Unger, Anita Volz Wien; Dr. Roy Geronemus, Clyde Williams; Dr. Brianne Kent, Mark McCauley, Dr. Chandrika Rao, Dr. Valentina Fossati; Victor Garber; Ron Kaplan, Lauren Bauer

Below: Stephen Ross, Lynn Connelly; Dr. George Lazarus, Shelly Lazarus, Dr. Jennifer Ratner; Margaret Hoover, Dr. Karen E. Burke; Kay Unger, David Walentas, Christine Lin Egli; Ian Schrager, Paul Goldberger; Janet Zucker, Matt George, Jerry Zucker, Dr. Derrick Rossi; Stephen Meringoff, Peter Goulandris

Highlights of the NYSCF Conference

On October 18th and 19th, we hosted the seventeenth annual NYSCF Conference on translational stem cell research at The Rockefeller University, convening in person after two years of virtual meetings. It showcased the latest advances in diabetes, immunology, cancer, neurological diseases, cell therapies, genomics, and precision medicine. The event felt like a reunion for many attendees, and reignited the spirit of collaboration and community that characterizes this conference.

The meeting featured two inspiring keynote lectures by Janet Rossant, PhD, FRS, FRSC (University of Toronto), and Feng Zhang, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Two panel discussions highlighted critical topics in precision medicine and the value of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for the scientific community.

Junior stem cell scientists had a prominent presence as well, sharing their exciting findings in selected short talks and a lively evening poster session.

Learn more at nyscf.org/conference-highlights

Scientist, Entrepreneur, and Hockey Dad: Meet NYSCF Interim CEO Derrick Rossi

Even if you don’t know Derrick Rossi, PhD, you almost certainly know Moderna: the company he co-founded that pioneered the mRNA vaccine technology protecting millions from COVID-19.

“ It was NYSCF’s incredible staff and mission that compelled me to step up,” he said. “NYSCF’s work has the potential to impact a lot of patients – and I want to help in whatever way I can since I’ve had experience bringing treatments to the clinic.”

Dr. Rossi has been a longtime member of the NYSCF community: he was a member of the firstever class of NYSCF – Robertson Investigators. He later joined NYSCF’s Board of Directors, and has now stepped in as NYSCF Interim CEO. He’s an ambitious person who is involved in many projects, but felt driven to take on this role for one simple reason: a belief in NYSCF.

High School Students Step Out of

the Classroom and into the Lab Science is much more than textbooks and lectures: it’s dynamic, interdisciplinary, and hands-on. For the third summer in a row, NYSCF has brought talented young minds together for our Stem Cell Research Immersive for High School Students. Through this comprehensive experience, students have the opportunity to speak with scientists, dive into current topics in research, build professional skills, and even step foot in the lab themselves for a day of scientific exploration.

“NYSCF is unique because it has both substantial internal research programs as well as external funding of investigators around the world,” he continued. “Typically you’re either a funder, a research institute, or a biotech. It’s remarkable that NYSCF can be all these things at once, and that’s a real testament to the people here. It’s also important to recognize that all this is driven by philanthropic dollars, which lets us follow the most promising science.”

And if you’re looking for Dr. Rossi and he’s not in his office or the lab, check the hockey rink.

“I love spending time with my children and my dog. I have three daughters and I’m a proud hockey dad.”

“It was so cool to interact with the things that you normally only learn about online and at school. It introduced me to a wide range of skills that I think will be very useful in my future.”

- A 2022 High School Immersive Student

Dr. Derrick Rossi at the NYSCF Gala

Students working with cells in the NYSCF labs

Meet the 2022 NYSCF — Robertson Investigators

We are delighted to welcome the 2022 class of NYSCF – Robertson Investigators into our Innovator Community! These awards provide critical seed funding – $1.5M over 5 years – to outstanding early career stem cell researchers and neuroscientists.

Lydia Finley, PhD

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Weill Cornell Medical College

Metabolism and cancer

Kara McKinley, PhD Harvard University

Infertility, endometriosis, and endometrial cancer

Ruben van Boxtel, PhD

Princess Máxima

Center for Pediatric Oncology

Childhood cancers

Amber L. Alhadeff, PhD

University of Pennsylvania

Diseases of body weight control

Tomasz Nowakowski, PhD

University of California, San Francisco

Brain development

Cate Jensen Peña, PhD

Princeton University

Mood and anxiety disorders

What Makes Someone a Likely Target of a Virus?

You’ve likely noticed that some people seem to get COVID-19 more easily than others. Why is this?

A large part of the answer lies in our genetics. Leveraging the scale afforded by The NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array®, we joined a team investigating how genetics impacts risk of infection with Zika, SARS-CoV-2, and Dengue. By studying cells from 100 individuals, scientists pinpointed a genetic variation that hinders the body’s ability to fight off infection. The study, led by NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator

Zika virus-infected brain organoids. Colors indicate Zika virus (blue), neural stem cells (red) and neurons (green). Image courtesy of the Chen lab.

Alumna Shuibing Chen, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine in collaboration with NYSCF Research Institute scientists led by Scott Noggle, PhD, appears in Cell Stem Cell

The NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigators

The NYSCF – Robertson Neuroscience Investigators

A NYSCF - Supported Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease is Entering Clinical Trials

A new cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease (called ‘STEM-PD’) developed by NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Alumna Malin Parmar, PhD, of Lund University, has just received approval for a Phase I/IIa clinical trial in Sweden – the first of its kind in Europe. The aim of this therapy is to replace the dopamine-producing neurons that degenerate in Parkinson’s patients with healthy versions created from stem cells.

“We are excited and looking forward to this clinical study of STEM-PD, hoping that it could potentially help reduce the significant burden of Parkinson’s disease. This has been a massive team effort for over a decade, and the regulatory approval is a major and important milestone.” - Dr. Parmar

Why Do So Many Embryos Fail in IVF?

Most early human embryos created for IVF don't survive past five days once fertilized. Why? A new study in Cell by NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Alumnus and former NYSCF Research Institute scientist Dieter Egli, PhD, of Columbia University finds that when the embryo begins to divide after fertilization, spontaneous failure to fully replicate its DNA can lead to an abnormal number of chromosomes and, in turn, a failed embryo.

“This work, inspired by my findings at The NYSCF Research Institute, could only have been done with NYSCF's support, because of the widespread funding restrictions on the study of human embryos. I'm hopeful that these new insights will help improve the lives of many struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss.” - Dr. Egli

Dr. Parmar speaks at the 2022 NYSCF Conference

Dr. Egli

The mission of The New York Stem Cell Foundation is to accelerate cures for the major diseases of our time through stem cell research.

nyscf.org/donate

“

Building NYSCF has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am incredibly proud of the contributions we have made to the field of stem cell research, and to developing new, more effective treatments and cures to improve the lives of patients.”

nyscf.org/susan