Karin
and Tom Payne, from Montreal and Chicago respectively, initially “joined
forces” at the University of Pittsburgh as doctoral candidates in the
Department of Bioengineering. There,
they were exposed to the exciting field of regenerative medicine and were
involved in research using stem cells, gene therapy and biomaterials to
engineer new tissues. Karin focused her doctoral and postdoctoral work on using
stem cells for bone and cartilage tissue engineering and trained with basic
scientists and orthopaedic
surgeons who provided insight into potential clinical applications of stem
cell-based treatment strategies. Tom used stem cells derived from muscle for
cardiovascular repair, eventually continuing this research at a start-up
biotechnology company in Pittsburgh. There, Tom was involved in the start-up of
a new Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility to process autologous stem
cells for use in various clinical trials of cell therapy, including treatments
for urinary incontinence and heart failure.
Karin
and Tom came to Colorado and Anschutz because they felt excellent opportunities
were available in regenerative medicine. The Department of Orthopaedics
was recruiting a faculty member to establish a research program that would
investigate the use of stem cells for the development of novel treatment
strategies for diseased or damaged musculoskeletal tissues—a perfect fit for
Karin. Another advantage entailed
joining the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell
Biology, which has faculty that are advancing the field of regenerative
medicine through their cutting edge research in stem cell and developmental
biology. Serendipity came into play as well, since the Center was also looking
into creating a GMP facility that would facilitate the translation of academic
research into the clinic. Being involved in the planning of the GMP facility
was a role that was of great interest to Tom. Further, during the interview
process, a few critical things became very clear to them both:
The
quality of research taking place at Anschutz was outstanding, there was a
definite sense of a strong collaborative environment, and there seemed to be
many opportunities ahead. Also, every single person we met was exceptionally
nice and welcoming. We strongly felt that this would be an excellent
institution to further our careers and be a part of an outstanding scientific
and medical community.
Relocated
to Anschutz since July, Karin is directing the Regenerative Orthopaedics
Laboratory in the Department of Orthopaedics
where she is studying ways to optimize the ability of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal
stem cells to become bone and cartilage forming cells. She will also be using
induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reprogram adult cells such as those
found in skin and bone marrow and then direct them towards bone or cartilage.
Generating induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells offers the unique
opportunity to derive an abundant patient-specific stem cell source for tissue
engineering applications, which is particularly attractive for older patients
that often do not have optimal stem cells for repair. Karin is excited to
collaborate with the clinical faculty within her department and with members of
the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology on
these research efforts. Tom will be working on the planning and start-up of a
facility that will support the manufacture of cell, protein and gene-based
therapies under conditions that meet the standards of regulatory bodies and
current good manufacturing practices. In addition, Tom is eager to work with
investigators to help them translate their research discoveries into products
for patients.
As
new Denverites,
Karin and Tom love living in the city and spending time in the sunny outdoors
with their 2 year-old son. They are
looking forward to exploring Denver and its surroundings, especially during the
upcoming ski season. They want to thank everyone involved at Anschutz for
giving them these opportunities and for helping them make this westward move. a
smooth transition.