The Stowers Institute for Medical Research on Tuesday announced the hiring of four renowned scientists, including one who was recruited with help from Kansas University.
The four appointments, combined with ones made in November when the institute opened its doors, will help solidify "the critical mass of excellent scientists necessary to fulfill the institute's research mission," Stowers Institute Scientific Director Robb Krumlauf said.
Stowers' goal is to become a national leader in research in the treatment and cure of diseases. The Kansas City, Mo.-based institute was started with funding from financier and cancer survivors Jim and Virginia Stowers.
The Stowers Institute also plays a key role in a collaboration of several public and private institutions to make the area a major player in scientific research.
To that end, Stowers and KU signed an agreement in January to allow sharing of faculty and equipment, exchange data on research programs and work together in snaring contracts and federal grants.
One of the scientists hired by Stowers is Kent Golic, a leader in genetic research in his current position as a professor at the University of Utah.
Golic, who earlier earned a bachelor of science from Kansas State, has been studying genes that influence how many times cells can divide before dying, genes that regulate DNA repair and fruit fly genes that are similar to human disease-causing genes.
Bill Neaves, president and chief executive of Stowers, said Golic could not have been recruited without KU.
"Convincing him to bring his outstanding research program here is cause for celebration both at the University of Kansas, where he will hold a professorship, and at the Stowers Institute," Neaves said.
Stowers also announced hiring Arcady Mushegian, who will serve as director of bioinformatics. He is currently a senior scientist at Akkadix Corp., an agricultural biotechnology company in La Jolla, Calif.
"Arcady represents a rare find and an essential addition to the institute's intellectual capabilities," Neaves said.
The institute also hired Paul Trainor, currently a researcher at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, and Chunying Du, a Howard Hughes post-doctoral fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
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