Chief Scientific Officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Appointed to CIRM Board
Pat Levitt, PhD, was recently appointed to the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). CIRM funds all areas of stem cell research that show promise for accelerating treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. From his position as Chief Scientific Officer and director of The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. Levitt is uniquely qualified to advocate for research into diseases affecting children and for the training of future investigators.
“It is an honor and a significant responsibility to serve as a member of the governing board for CIRM,” says Dr. Levitt. “Brain disorders will be an additional focus for CIRM following the approval of Proposition 14. I am looking forward to joining other governing board members to ensure that new treatments for chronic and life-threatening conditions can be moved from the laboratory to the clinic setting as rapidly as possible.”
Appointed by State Controller Betty T. Yee to a six-year term, Dr. Levitt joins a board of 35 Californians—patients, advocates, researchers, educators and biotechnology industry professionals—committed to identifying and accelerating the most promising stem cell research and therapies. In 2019-2020, CIRM invested $2.7 billion in funding to support more than 1,000 stem cell-related discovery, translational and clinical programs. CIRM board members serve on eleven subcommittees and three working groups that provide recommendations regarding CIRM funding, ethical standards and facilities.
