NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New York Stem Cell Foundation today announced the appointment of Michael Yaffe, PhD, to the newly created position of Vice President, Scientific Programs. Dr. Yaffe will report to Susan L. Solomon, Co-Founder and CEO of The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF).
In his new role, Dr. Yaffe will be responsible for scientific management and growth of the robust research granting programs at NYSCF. Unlike many nonprofit organizations, NYSCF not only supports postdoctoral fellows and early career investigators at universities around the world, but also conducts research in its own independent stem cell institute. Dr. Yaffe will also work closely with the NYSCF Research Institute’s scientific team to continue developing collaborative research programs in alignment with NYSCF’s mission.
“We are excited to have Michael join us to help expand and manage our scientific programs,” said Ms. Solomon. “Michael’s experience as both an academic faculty and at CIRM will be a strong asset for NYSCF. Michael is a wonderful scientist and we are lucky to have him joining our team.”
Prior to joining NYSCF, Dr. Yaffe was previously Associate-Director of Research Activities at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) where he led the Basic Biology Group, developed funding programs and oversaw supported research and educational programs. Dr. Yaffe is Professor Emeritus and was on the faculty at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) for 23 years. His laboratory studied cell growth and subcellular structure, with particular focus on the mitochondria, the cellular power plants. He also taught both undergraduates and graduate students and served for three years as Associate Dean for Education in Biological Sciences.
Dr. Yaffe has served on grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society and as an organizer for a number of international scientific conferences.
Prior to joining UCSD he carried out postdoctoral research at the Biozentrum, University of Basel in Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Yaffe attended the University of California, Davis and received a BS degree in Biochemistry. He earned a PhD degree in Biochemistry from Harvard University.
Dr. Yaffe and his wife will be relocating from San Francisco to New York where the NYSCF Research Institute and headquarters are based.
About The New York Stem Cell Foundation
The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) is an independent organization founded in 2005 to accelerate cures and better treatments for patients through stem cell research. NYSCF employs over 45 researchers at the NYSCF Research Institute, located in New York, and is an acknowledged world leader in stem cell research and in developing pioneering stem cell technologies, including the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array™. Additionally, NYSCF supports another 75 researchers at other leading institutions worldwide through its Innovator Programs, including the NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellowships and the NYSCF – Robertson Investigator Awards. NYSCF focuses on translational research in a model designed to overcome the barriers that slow discovery and replaces silos with collaboration. For more information, visit www.nyscf.org
