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PAN CEO Amy Comstock Rick Elected CAMR President
On Wednesday, December 12, Amy Comstock Rick, CEO of the Parkinson’s
Action Network (PAN) was elected as the new president of The Coalition
for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), effective January 1, 2008.
The announcement came
at CAMR’s annual meeting along with the introduction of a newly-elected
leadership team. PAN is a founding member of this coalition that is
comprised of more than 100 nationally-recognized patient groups,
universities, and scientific societies that continues to lead the
charge to expand the current policy on embryonic stem cell research.
Rick, the former CAMR vice president for state initiatives, replaces Sean Tipton, Public Affairs Director for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, who served as CAMR’s president for the past two years, the position’s term limit.
“I am excited to serve as president of CAMR at this pivotal time in our nation’s stem cell research history,” said Rick. “The grassroots efforts of PAN and other CAMR members have been instrumental in realizing the passage of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act in the 109th and 110th Congress. Since its inception, CAMR has led the charge in promoting stem cell education and advocacy amongst both federal policymakers and the general public. Millions of patients are awaiting better treatments and cures, and I’m looking forward leading the coalition working to deliver on the promise that stem cell research provides,” she added.
“This is an important day for the Parkinson’s Action Network,” said John Rogers, Vice Chair of PAN’s Board of Directors. “This leadership position represents the commitment of our community to ensuring research freedom and the tireless efforts of PAN advocates to expanding the current policy on embryonic stem cell research.”
Embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) has significant scientific and therapeutic potential for the entire Parkinson’s community. While replacement of human dopamine producing neurons may be one therapy resulting from additional embryonic stem cell research, many avenues of Parkinson’s research can benefit from expansion of the current federal policy on ESCR research. Researchers would be aided in studying the causes of Parkinson’s, developing more accurate models to improve our understanding of the disease, and, ultimately, halt the unrelenting neurological degeneration and loss of quality of life for Parkinson’s patients.
“For the Parkinson’s community and over 100 million Americans with diseases that may benefit from ESCR, this issue is not about politics, but about clearing the way for hopeful science to move forward within an ethical framework,” Rick concluded.
The 2008 CAMR leadership team includes: Vice President of Operations/Secretary, Rhonda Norsetter, Senior Special Assistant to the Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Vice President of Membership, Lisa Hughes, Managing Director, External Affairs, Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation; Vice President of Finance/Treasurer, Daniel Perry, Executive Director, Alliance for Aging Research; Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Jennifer Poulakidas, Vice President, Congressional Affairs, National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges; Vice President of Communications, Sarah Youngerman, Associate Director, Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; Vice President of State Initiatives, Marla Gilson, Washington Action Office Director, Hadassah; and Vice President for Science, Kevin Wilson, Director of Public Policy, American Society for Cell Biology.
CAMR also elected the following new board members: Kevin Casey, Senior Director of Federal and State Relations, Harvard University; David Chatel, Executive Vice President of Advocacy, National Multiple Sclerosis Society; and Amy Daly, RN, Co-Executive Director, Americans for Cures Foundation.
In addition to the CAMR executive leadership, and new board members, the following individuals were re-elected to serve on the CAMR board: Ross Frommer, Deputy Vice President for Government and Community Affairs and Associate Dean, Columbia University Medical Center; Pam Lokken, Director of Community and Governmental Relations, Washington University in St. Louis; Michael Manganiello, Principal, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek Government Affairs; Tony Mazzaschi, Senior Associate Vice President for Biomedical and Health Sciences Research, Association of American Medical Colleges; Larry Soler, Vice President, Government Relations, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Sean Tipton, Director of Public Affairs, American Society for Reproductive Medicine; Michael Werner, President, The Werner Group; and Patrick White, Director of Federal Relations, Association of American Universities.
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