News About StemCONN 07
On March 22, CURE's Paul Pescatello appeared on the WTNH-TV Ch 8 to discuss the upcoming StemCONN 07 stem cell symposium. “It brings focus to a center of excellence we’ve created here in Connecticut,” Pescatello says. more (44mb)
Writing of the upcoming conference, a March 23 article in Mass HighTech says that Connecticut has leaped ahead of Massachusetts and other states in the stem cell area. Planned and led by CURE together with the Connecticut Department of Health and the Connecticut Stem Cell Coalition, and organized and implemented through CURE with primary financial support from CURE as lead sponsor, the event attracted more than 650 registered participants to packed sessions at the Capitol, Legislative Office Building, and Hilton Hartford. more
Interviewed by Harriet Jones of WNPR on March 26, Pescatello says that Connecticut should be proud of its broad and deep support for stem cell research. The upcoming symposium (which opened the following day) is a “celebration of what we’ve done,” Pescatello says. more Pescatello also talks with WNPR’s Ray Hardman about the ethics and prospects for commercialization of stem cell research. more Also on March 26, Pescatello tells anchor John Silva of WDRC-AM that the upcoming stem cell event will help celebrate all we’ve done here in Connecticut in the biosciences.
On March 27, the first day of the stem cell symposium, WVIT-TV Ch 30 in Hartford broadcasts a report that includes remarks from Pescatello: “Really, the highest paying jobs, the jobs with the biggest ripple effect across the Connecticut economy are bioscience jobs. And stem cell research is the bioscience of the future.”
A March 28 article in the Hartford Courant covers the commercialization panel featured the first day of StemCONN 07. “This is tremendous technology, but it’s going to take a fair amount of time to develop,” says Joseph Hammang, senior director of science policy and public affairs for Pfizer. Covering the same panel, the Hartford Business Journal on March 29 writes: “The search for a piece of the state’s $100 million commitment to stem cells in happening around the edges, but it is coming from all parts of the state.”
The evening of March 28 Pescatello was a guest on “New England Business Today” on the New England Cable Network. “We’re very lucky in Connecticut,” Pescatello says. “We have broad and deep consensus. This research is good for patients and good for the economy of Connecticut.”
Both the Hartford Courant and the Day (New London) honored StemCONN 07 with editorials. “Connecticut can be proud that it has persevered in its support for this important, potentially lifesaving research,” the Courant writes. more “Connecticut and several other states have wisely provided funding for this important field of study,” writes the Day. more
Reporting from the symposium, Joe Palca of NPR quotes Pescatello on NPR’s “All Things Considered”: “There are only going to be a few cutting-edge stem cell research centers built around the world, whether Cambridge, England or Cambridge, Massachusetts or Connecticut. We are in the game, and we will be one of those stem cell research centers.” more
An April 1 story in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette suggests that Connecticut may have pulled ahead of Massachusetts and some other states. “StemCONN 07 was more than just another meeting,” the paper’s Lisa Eckelberger writes. “The two-day event was designed to mark Connecticut’s arrival in the high-profile world of state-funded stem-cell research.”
Other News
On Feb 14, CURE’s Paul Pescatello joined a panel on WHC-TV Ch 5 in Hartford discussing the cost of housing in Connecticut. Pescatello points out that high housing costs can make an area a less advantageous place to live and work.
A Feb 25 article in the Hartford Courant discusses the fate of CT companies that are acquired by new parent companies from outside the state. Pescatello says that acquisition of a Connecticut company by an out-of-state firm isn’t necessarily a loss for the state. He points to the 2004 acquisition of the former Protometrix by California’s Invitrogen, which continues to have a thriving Connecticut presence. more
A Feb 26 article in the “Career Ladder” section of the Hartford Courant notes the appointment of Sarah Berke as director of BioBus Educational Programs and the promotion of Kerry Donahue to senior staff scientist.
A March 24 article in the Greenwich Time covers a BioConnection visit to Greenwich Catholic School. BioConnection delivers a real-world science experience, staff scientist Nancy Kennure tells the paper. more
Previous CURE in the News (Feb 2007 issue)
