President's Message
Dear ASGCT Members,
It’s hard to believe that the New Year is almost here and I only have six months remaining in my presidential year with ASGCT.
Looking back at the last six months, I’m impressed with how much our community has been able to achieve. In September, we held the NIH Gene Therapy Symposium. The presentations at the Symposium confirmed what we’ve all been feeling the last few years – our field has turned a corner and we are building significant momentum as we enter into 2012.
As a result of the Symposium, I have been working with leaders in the field to develop the Target 10, a list of 10 indications most likely to have a validated genetic or cellular therapeutic within five to seven years. My hope is that the Target 10 will serve as a roadmap to guide NIH funding of gene and cell therapy trials.
Xandra Breakefield, your President-Elect, is also working with a panel of ASGCT members to draft a recommendation to the Office of Biotechnology Activities on a new and evolving role for the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) in fulfilling its mandate to advise the Director of NIH on the conduct and oversight of research involving recombinant DNA. Our hope is that through a dialogue with the RAC, we will be able to streamline the complex regulatory framework in which we all work.
Since accepting my role as president, I have also been working with our colleagues across the oceans to better harmonize our mutual research interests. With the inclusion of the Global Gene Summit and Global Regulatory Symposium cosponsored by our colleagues in Europe, Japan, and China, at the 15th Annual Meeting, we will begin to see this become a reality. The sessions will serve as a demonstration of leading sciences from around the world and will examine methods for harmonization of international regulatory frameworks.
I look forward working with you over the next six months and hope to see you in Philadelphia, as we continue to move our community and research forward.
Sincerely,
R. Jude Samulski, PhD
ASGCT President