The
Morgridge Institute of Research announced Monday stem cell pioneer James
Thomson will be the first member of its multi-disciplinary scientific
leadership team.

According
to Carl Gulbrandsen, director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and a
member of the institute?s board of trustees, Thomson?s official title will be
director of regenerative biology.

Thomson
is best known as the scientist who first isolated human embryonic stem cells in
1998 and, according to Gulbrandsen, is perfect for the job.

?He is unequivocally the
leader in his discipline,? Gulbrandsen said. ?He?s not only been successful
with one breakthrough but he has since had a second. He?s a productive
scientist and a thoughtful scientist.?

Thomson
was also involved in creating human-induced pluripotent stem cells in 2007.
These cells are stem cells created from genetically altered human skin cells.

According
to Gulbrandsen, MIR is the private, not-for-profit section of the upcoming
public Wisconsin Institute of Discovery.

The
Wisconsin Institute of Discovery?s new facility is not set to open until fall
2010, but the operations of the institute will begin soon in temporarily leased
space, according to a statement from the Morgridge Institute.

According
to Gulbrandsen, Thomson is the first person the board has selected. He added
three or four more scientists from different disciplines will be selected for
the leadership team of the Morgridge Institute.

Gulbrandsen
added the goal of the institute is to have many separate disciplines that will
all complement each other.

?We?re bringing
mathematicians together with biologists and adding the influence of engineering
on a micro-scale and macro-scale,? Gulbrandsen said.

He
added Thomson?s responsibilities for the new position consist of continuing the
research he is currently doing in a larger laboratory and having a role with
the other directors in deciding the direction the institute is taking.

Gulbrandsen
said the selection of scientific leadership team members is the responsibility
of the MIR board of trustees. He added the board has only been in existence
since November 2007 and is not yet complete.

When
complete the board will consist of 15 seats. Six seats belong to WARF members,
two seats belong to members of the Morgridge family, one seat is the
responsibility of UW and four seats go to at-large members, according to
Gulbrandsen.