Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center to host second annual Stem Cell Art Exhibition and Community Reception
“Stem Cells Offer Hope” is from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Sue & Bill Gross Hall: A CIRM Institute on the UC Irvine campus.
Irvine, Calif., April 22, 2014 — Larger-than-life photographs reflecting the creativity and beauty of stem cell science will be on display at “Kaleidoscope of Hope,” an art exhibition and community reception hosted by nationally renowned stem cell researchers at UC Irvine’s Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center on Thursday, May 1.
The second annual “Stem Cells Offer Hope” event will feature extraordinary images of cells that represent hope for people affected by many of life’s most debilitating conditions – from spinal cord injury to blindness to diabetes. This is a rare opportunity to talk with researchers about the subjects of their eye-catching images and how these cells can be used to treat disease, screen new drugs, and develop models for studying normal growth and the causes of birth defects.
“As researchers, we are often awed by these microscopic stem cells and the enormity of their contributions to the growth and repair of the human body,” said Sidney Golub, Ph.D., director of the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. “We chose images from our research studies that capture the excitement of what these cells will accomplish. Once we unlock their potential, it will change the way medicine is practiced.”
The shimmering images are mounted on metal in a process called dye sublimation. They will be sold through a silent auction at the event, with proceeds benefiting novel and early-stage stem cell investigations.
“Stem Cells Offer Hope” is from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Sue & Bill Gross Hall: A CIRM Institute on the UC Irvine campus. Tickets are $50 ($35 with UC Irvine identification) and must be purchased in advance. For more information or to buy a ticket, call 949-824-1677 or email jbriggs@uci.edu.
About the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, UC Irvine: Sue & Bill Gross Hall: A CIRM Institute at UC Irvine is one of the largest, most technologically advanced stem cell research facilities in the world. It was established in 2010, in part through a $10 million gift from Bill Gross, founder and chief investment officer of international investment firm PIMCO, and his wife, Sue. For more than 40 years, scientists and multiple research and graduate assistants at UC Irvine have worked to unlock the potential of stem cells for treating or curing an estimated 70 major diseases and disorders. Recent advances at the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center have led to the world’s first clinical trial of a human neural stem cell-based therapy for chronic spinal cord injury and the first FDA-approved clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells. For more information, visit stemcell.uci.edu.
About the University of California, Irvine: Located in coastal Orange County, near a thriving high-tech hub in one of the nation’s safest cities, UC Irvine was founded in 1965. One of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, it’s ranked first among U.S. universities under 50 years old by the London-based Times Higher Education. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.3 billion annually to the local economy.
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