ISCRM Welcomes State Representatives Cody and Macri for Tour

Community engagement is a core part of our mission at the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM). Whether we’re traveling to schools to interact with budding scientists or welcoming visitors to our South Lake Union labs, our researchers are committed to sharing how they are using stem cells to revolutionize the way humans confront chronic disease.

On December 14th, 2018, ISCRM was honored to host two special guests from Olympia – Representative Eileen Cody (D), 34th Legislative District, and Representative Nicole Macri (D), 43rd Legislative District.

People in lab coats tour a laboratory
Dr. Jessica Young (left) and Representative Nicole Macri on a tour of the UW Medicine Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine.

The afternoon at ISCRM began with an update on progress being made in the fight against two chronic conditions impacting millions of people in Washington State and around the world:  heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

ISCRM Director Dr. Charles Murry briefed the legislators on his lab’s breakthrough study showing that stem cells could be used to regenerate heart muscle in large primates, a major step toward human trials of this promising new treatment.  Dr. Jessica Young then described how her lab is harnessing stem cells as instruments of discovery to explore the mysteries of the human brain, creating new methods for studying the little-understood onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

“It was amazing see the incredible work being done by Dr. Murry and his team in action,” said Representative Macri. “They are leading in advanced research on devastating conditions like heart disease and Alzheimer’s that could dramatically change the way we think of healthcare. The Institute for Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine is a star among the many great and exciting endeavors of our state’s flagship public research university. I look forward to continuing my support of the ISCRM in my role as a state legislator.”

The tour concluded with a visit to the Tom and Sue Ellison Stem Cell Core, an ISCRM facility central to the research happening across 130 labs.  In the Stem Cell Core, Representatives Cody and Macri saw firsthand how scientists are using stem cells to grow heart and brain tissue and peered into microscopes at neurons and neural organoids.

We’re grateful to Representatives Cody and Macri for taking the time to tour ISCRM and to the Washington State Legislature for its support of the Institute and its investment in the future of medicine.