UM gets $10M donation for stem cell research

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South Florida Business Journal by Brian Bandell, Senior Reporter
Date: Thursday, May 3, 2012

The University of Miami received a $10 million grant from the Starr Foundation for its Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute.

The award from the private foundation will support its research on developing stem cells into treatments for cardiac disease, cancer, wound healing, stroke, glaucoma, chronic kidney and gastrointestinal diseases.

UM has been conducting stem cell trials for several years, including one for a catheter that injects stem cells from bone marrow into damaged hearts. It has 13 clinical trials going on now.

“This is a momentous and transformative gift for the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute,” ISCI Director Dr. Joshua M. Hare said. “This support, along with our growing NIH funding, technology transfer, and other philanthropic efforts guarantees the stability of ISCI through the end of the decade, and will allow us to continue to push the boundaries of regenerative medicine with the goal of improving human health.”

The Starr Foundation was founded in 1955 by Cornelous Vander Starr and it has awarded grants to more than 140 secondary schools. Its chairman, Maurice R. “Hank” Greenberg, attended UM in the 1940s.

“We learned about some of the interesting stem cell research at Miami, specifically efforts to rebuild damaged hearts, and we wanted to help further that research as it moved into clinical applications,” Greenberg said.