Novocell Chief Joins JDRF

The head of the only company to win a grant from the California stem cell agency is leaving his business to become the chief executive of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The departure of Alan Lewis is a bit of an illustration of the small world of stem cell research. His company, Novocell, won a $50,000 grant from CIRM, whose chairman is Robert Klein, who is also a member of the board of directors of the JDRF.

The foundation itself is significant provider of research funding. It has awarded more than $1.3 billion in grants since 1970, including more than $156 million in this fiscal year.

Could it be that JDRF and CIRM might collaborate on a funding effort? Possibly. CIRM has ambitious plans for collaboration. They already involve Canada, Japan, Great Britain and the state of Victoria in Australia.