Harvey Lodish to chair MLSC Scientific Advisory Board

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) today announced the creation of a Scientific Advisory Board to provide scientific and technical advice and oversight, and to ensure scientific credibility and transparency for the Center’s activities and grant-making decisions. The Center has appointed Dr. Harvey F. Lodish, Founding Member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Professor of Biology and of Bioengineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to chair the new board.

The creation of the board underscores the MLSC’s commitment to scientific peer review as the basis of its decision-making and provides a strong foundation for the new $12 million matching grant program, which funds research at public and private universities and colleges and affiliated research institutions.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Lodish has agreed to give so generously of his time and expertise to ensure that scientific merit is the cornerstone for our major investments in the life sciences,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Daniel O’Connell, Chair of the MLSC Board of Directors.

“This appointment offers a tremendous opportunity to support innovation, job creation and exciting breakthroughs in science that will enhance our quality of life – I can’t wait to get started,” said Dr. Lodish.

The Scientific Advisory Board will be comprised of approximately 10-12 scientists who are experts in their academic or industry fields. The Board’s responsibilities will include working with the MLSC to develop a transparent, competitive, peer review process to review all proposals submitted under the solicitations in the matching grant program. The Board will also make funding recommendations to the MLSC Board of Directors.

Dr. Lodish, whose groundbreaking research focuses on molecular and cellular biology, especially as it interfaces with medicine, was a founder and scientific advisory board member of Genzyme, Inc., Arris Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Allozyne, Inc.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency created by the Massachusetts Legislature in June 2006 to promote the life sciences within the Commonwealth. The MLSC is closely affiliated with the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development but is not subject to its direct supervision or control. The MLSC is tasked with investing in life sciences research and economic development. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions growing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties between sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community.