 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
June 2010 In this Issue:
If you’ve been receiving our newsletter for some time, you’ve probably noticed that we don’t miss any opportunities to remind you that the rapid rate of progress we are making is the result of our Accelerated Research Collaboration(tm) model. The premise of the model—that basic science conducted in university laboratories can be accelerated and translated for commercial development—is becoming more and more a part of public discourse. Take for example the article series in “The Science Business,” a blog published by Forbes magazine. Matthew Herper, the author of the series, implores academic scientists to share their successes, as well as their failures, to form a unified sort of collaboration with a new goal – finding a cure instead of just publishing a paper. This is just one way in which the spotlight has recently focused on the idea that collaboration among research teams can accelerate medical discoveries, a concept that has been at the core of our research program from the beginning. Ernst & Young, one of the world’s largest professional services firms, has also noticed what we’ve been up to at the MRF. Earlier this month at an Academy Award-style gala in San Jose, I was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Social Entrepreneurship for the Northern California Region. I was able to share, with everyone there, the remarkable story of the Myelin Repair Foundation and how I could never have won the award without the support and dedication of the MRF staff, scientists, advisors, partners, my wife Dana and all of the MRF supporters who donate to our cause. Though the award called for a time for celebration, it does not mean that we’ve finished the job. We have just started to dip our toes into the pool of scientific collaboration and, although now journalists and others are starting to feel the ripples we are making, we can’t slow down. The MRF has always had a unique vision and has made tremendous progress while pursuing it. But we will not be satisfied until we get a new MS treatment on the market. So I am calling on you, as a friend and supporter of the MRF, to tap your personal and professional networks to make as many as possible aware of our work and how they can help us create a world free from MS as quickly as humanly possible. We have the plan and the momentum. We will get to the finish line. But the only rate-limiting step in our work is the financial resources to continue at the rapid pace we’ve set for ourselves. Thank you for your continued interest and support. Scott Johnson Scott Johnson Wins Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The
Year 2010 Award for Northern California! On Saturday, June 12, Scott Johnson, president of the Myelin Repair Foundation, was honored with the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Scott was as humble and gracious, as usual, in his acceptance speech. "Being an entrepreneur is not an individual sport," he remarked. He then thanked MRF staff, scientists, advisors, partners, volunteers, supporters, and his wife Dana. For all of us, this award is recognition that the MRF’s work is as extraordinary as we think it is. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the generous donations and grants from hundreds of MRF supporters like you worldwide. Recognitions like these, however can be a double-edged sword. While they communicate the MRF's success to the outside world, they may also give the perception that our work here is finished. Clearly it is not, and won’t be, until we get a new MS medicine on the market. So we’re not basking too long in this wonderful victory. We ask that you don’t either. Nothing is more important than maintaining the momentum of our work and without your continued support that cannot happen. Please share this good news with your friends, family and colleagues who care about solving the problem of MS and speeding medical research. Celebrate the beginning of MRF's 7th year with a donation of $70 dollars. Your dollars will mean more basic research, more pre-development testing, more investigations into biomarkers of the disease, more engagement with commercial partners and a bigger push toward the first myelin repair clinical trial in 2014. If you donate now your donation will be doubled thanks to a $10 million dollar challenge grant from a generous supporter. Read more about the award on our blog. MRF Lessons Taught at Harvard Business School Wanting to give his students the opportunity to face a real life business challenge, Professor Karim Lakhani of the Harvard Business School (HBS) chose the MRF for a case study in the spring of 2010. He used the MRF as an example to teach the students how to overcome the obstacles of building a new collaborative research model involving multiple disciplines and institutions to create breakthroughs in drug discovery. The case provides details on how norms of academic research and intellectual property have to be updated to enable collaboration. The strategic choices HBS students were presented with in the case included the complexities of drug discovery, the uncertainty of commercial partners' interest in the therapeutic approach, and the constrained donor-based fundraising environment triggered by the economic downturn. According to Lakhani, "The students found the MRF model to be an intriguing approach towards drug development. Many were inspired by the design of the MRF research program and its focus on getting interdisciplinary collaboration to take hold." It is a testament to MRF’s impact in the business world that HBS chose to study the model as a learning tool. Other companies chosen for Harvard case studies include Fortune 500 companies such as Exxon Mobil and Telcom, so the fact that our nonprofit was considered as important as these multinational companies highlights the significance of our work. More importantly, because many of these students will be tomorrow's business leaders, they will carry the lessons learned from this case study with them as they develop and manage their own businesses. The case study is an excellent summary of MRF's history and model. It was designed for a broad audience, not scientists, and is therefore extremely comprehensible. The writing is succinct and supported by graphs and charts in eleven pages. Contact us if you would like a copy of the case study. Building More Bridges: One Trip at a Time When: July 9
When: July 19 MRF received a nice comment on our Facebook site from Nicole Rudich
regarding this event: When: July 29-31 Learn More About MRF Volunteers and Interns She writes great blog entries for MRF, but who is Gali
Hagel? Gali Hagel has been an integral part of the MRF since 2003. She served as a Volunteer Area Director in Atlanta, GA for 5 years. Recently, she relocated to the Bay Area to be closer to the MRF. (Well, that wasn't her primary reason, but we're all very happy she did.) Currently she spends much of her volunteer time writing riveting blog entries on all aspects of living with MS. What was your first impression of Scott? What is your impression of Scott now? What is the hardest part about having MS? Anything good? I wish I could have my health back and have these wonderful blessings. I wish we all could. And that's why I'm so dedicated to the MRF. Read Gali's latest blog entries:
Welcome MRF's Summer Intern: Megan Rechin 
Joining the MRF team for the summer as an intern is Megan Rechin. Her role at the MRF varies daily as she works to not only write articles for the blog and newsletter but also to manage the Twitter and Facebook accounts, develop an understanding of web statistics, organize and manage projects and research and read about the MRF's scientific developments and more. Megan Rechin will be a senior this year at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. With a major in Scientific Journalism and a minor in Spanish, Megan hopes to one day become a science writer and travel the world looking for stories embedded in the life sciences. She grew up in Silver Creek, NY but is presently getting used to the sunshine in San Jose, California where she loves her science writing internship at the Myelin Repair Foundation. Back home she has two wonderful parents, a brother, a sister and Buddy, the best dog in the world. In her spare time Megan can be caught reading the Best of Science Writing Collection and National Geographic. Her favorite color is green and her favorite book is Mary Mehan Awake. |
VIDEO: Scott Johnson accepts the NorCal Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Social Entrepreneurship at the June 12, 2010 Award Dinner. Breaking through to CuresPlug into our BlogRead more and comment at our blog:
Sign up to receive blog updates.Our ProgressRead about our latest progress updates:
MS Book Review The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born it's Grown. Here's How. The Talent Code is about myelin; what is myelin exactly and why
it is important to understand. Coyle explains myelin and the nervous
system in terms that are understandable for non-scientists. He also
relates the topic to real-life situations like athletics, music,
biology etc. to better understand the applicability of this white,
fatty substance that wraps our axons. Though the main focus of the book is not on multiple sclerosis research, or the disease in general, its spotlight on myelin identifies why it is so critical to research myelin and its importance when pursuing a cure for MS. Read our book review.
Word of the Month: Oligodendrocyte An oligodendrocyte is a cell in the central nervous system. The function of an "oligo" (as it's affectionately called by neurologists) is to provide support for axons and wrap them in a sheath of myelin. MRF researcher, Dr. Ben Barres of Stanford University, has made a major discovery about these cells. Read more about Dr. Barres' oligo discovery.
Join Our Cause
Join the Myelin Repair Foundation on Twitter, Facebook & YouTube.
|
