The next major contributions to stem cell research may be made at Penn.
The Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which was established on Nov. 27 by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ron Daniels, will research the potentials in stem cell biology.
The institute's research will be used to develop new therapies to treat a broad spectrum of diseases including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
"This is a field that's become increasingly important on the national and, indeed, international level," Gutmann said. "It has the potential for saving lives and for drastically improving quality of life."
And despite the potentially controversial nature of stem cell research, Jonathan Epstein, co-director of the institute, said he is not worried about offending people.
"Most of stem cell research is not really contentious. And I think it's a misconception we need to work to change," Epstein said.
Additionally, much of the research will involve the use of adult stem cells, which do not face the same ethical criticism as embryonic stem cells.
Still, ethics have always played a major role when conducting research at Penn, said Arthur Caplan, director of the Penn Center for Bioethics.
"There is a lot of discussion informally among faculty about this issue," he said.
The institute will also involve an educational element. The directors hope to develop relevant academic courses and an outreach component to educate the public about ongoing research.
Part of the outreach effort includes working with Philadelphia public schools and local colleges like Lincoln University to teach students about stem cell biology.
The interdisciplinary institute will bring together experts from a number of schools including the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Engineering School.
Faculty recruitment - which will be carried out in collaboration with a number of departments at Penn - is a top priority for the newly established institute. The aim is to recruit up to 15 new members in two years.
The University also hopes the new institute will help improve communication between faculty about their respective research projects.
Epstein attributed the lack of collaboration to the fact that many researchers do not know what their colleagues are working on.
But improving communication is easier said than done, especially at a large institution like Penn.
In order to genuinely encourage more cooperation, the institute will hold symposiums, faculty retreats and seminar series to provide a forum for faculty to share their ideas.
Researchers will also have access to seed funding to start up new research.
