TSRI Female Faculty Share Science with Donors and the Public

By Madeline McCurry-Schmidt

It was a chilly February evening in La Jolla, California, but the mood at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) was warm as about 80 community members and TSRI faculty shared wine, snacks—and the latest breakthroughs in biomedical research.

The Women Faculty Event on February 5, 2015 was the first event organized by TSRI’s Female Faculty Group. The group came together last summer with a mission to share the significance and value of TSRI research. The group also aims to show the community how they may both benefit from and assist the scientists at TSRI in their research goals. 

“We want to give people a broader picture of what is happening at Scripps and give thanks to people who have shown interest in our research,” said TSRI Associate Professor Brunie Felding. The new group includes around 60 faculty members from the TSRI campuses in La Jolla, California, and Jupiter, Florida.

“We are very proud of our accomplishments at TSRI and very enthusiastic about telling the public about our science,” said TSRI Professor and Trustee Linda Sherman.

The February 5 event began with an introduction from Jim Paulson, acting president and CEO of TSRI. Next, Felding presented her research into breast cancer, followed by Professor Erica Ollmann Saphire’s presentation on Ebola virus and Associate Professor Kristin Baldwin’s presentation on regenerative medicine. 

“These are such brilliant women doing such important work,” said one the event’s attendees, Cath DeStefano, CEO of the Human TuneUp Company, based in San Diego. “These are diseases we’re all concerned about.”

Others attending the event included Bonnie Dumanis, San Diego County district attorney, Patricia Hollenbeck, president of Lawyers Club of San Diego, and former Congresswoman Lynn Schenk, also a current member of the TSRI Board of Trustees. 

In addition to reaching out to community members, Felding said the group has also started collaborating more in their own research projects. “It has been very fruitful,” said Felding.

Group members are planning future events, such as lab tours, to raise the visibility of TSRI within the community. “We want to de-mystify scientific research here at TSRI. We also want to highlight the brilliant next generation of scientists whom we are training here," said TSRI Professor Donna Blackmond.

The Female Faculty Group includes about 60 faculty members at TSRI. Click here to enlarge.

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