California dreaming? A new start for regenerative medicine in the Golden State. Interview with Dr. Zach Hall

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was established in 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The statewide ballot measure, which provided US$3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was approved by California voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities and other vital research opportunities. Here, Dr Zach Hall, Interim President of the CIRM, outlines the ethos and aspirations of the CIRM to Regenerative Medicine. Dr Hall trained as a basic neuroscientist and became a faculty member and department chair at the University of California, San Francisco. In 1994, he was appointed Director of National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke within the National Institutes of Health, and was responsible for a research program that awarded more than US$500 million a year in grants and contracts. Since that time, he has held senior positions in research administration within both the University of California, San Francisco, where he was Executive Vice Chancellor, and the University of Southern California. Full information about the CIRM can be found at www.cirm.ca.gov.