While the $3 billion California stem cell agency awaits help from
an executive search firm, more names are being mentioned as possibilities
to become the new president of the organization.
Keep in mind that these are names that the public is bandying
about, not any sort of official CIRM directors' list, which may not
exist at this point.
UC Davis researcher Paul Knoepfler triggered the discussion of
possibilities this week when he posted a list of a dozen names that
people in the field have suggested might be considered. As a result,
Knoepfler received suggestions from his readers of additional possibilities.
They include Ellen Feigal, the No. 2 person at the agency, and
Arlene Chiu of Cedars-Sinai, who was chief scientific officer at the
agency until she left in 2007.
Knoepfler also emphasized that the dozen names he listed do not
constitute any sort of CIRM list. If some readers may think he is
floating trial balloons for the agency, that does not appear to be
the case.
Knoepfler's entry into this obviously speculative arena, however,
is worthy. Bringing specific names into the discussion could well
help sharpen both the focus in the search and the understanding of the type of trade-offs that are likely to be necessary. It also
may stimulate comments from people in the stem cell field about what
is needed in a new president. Those comments can either be forwarded
to the agency or laid out in public commentary either here or on
Knoepfler's blog.
As for the executive search firm, the agency hopes to have a
contract signed by Dec. 16. But it is certain that some agency board
members have already put out tentative feelers to suitable persons.
On Oct. 16, CIRM President Alan Trounson announced his plans to
depart and no doubt is increasingly focused on returning to Australia
and his family, especially as the holiday season approaches.
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