December 21, 2018
CBC-on’s Greetings!
2018 has been a great year for the CBC and we have much to be thankful for. Here are some highlights we are happy to share with you!
Noteworthy 2018 accomplishments include:
- Successful launch of a new Accelerator Award program designed to support innovative translational research across CBC member institutions; the first two application cycles completed in 2018;
- Ongoing success of Catalyst Award program, supporting collaborative fundamental basic science with transformational potential; the twenty-sixth application round completed in the fall of 2018;
- Establishment of CBC Accelerator Network (CBCAN) as a fixture within the greater Chicago community, bringing together faculty, tech transfer offices, pharma/biotech and investors to explore diverse topics of common interest; seven CBCAN events held in 2018;
- Welcoming Dr. Luisa A. DiPietro as the new CBC Scientific Director for UIC in May 2018;
- Hosting a “On the Table Luncheon” in May 2018 to thank the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust for their support over the years and to discuss the status of the current biotech/biomedical activities in the greater Chicago area;
- Augmented efforts to engage biotechnology investors within the CBC community, exemplified by the landmark collaboration between Northwestern University and Deerfield Management to form Lakeside Discovery launched in June 2018;
- Continuous encouragement of a broad array of inter-institutional collaborations, including the Open Access Initiative;
- Continuous support of educational opportunities such as the 16th Annual CBC Symposium, “A new age of structural biology: structure meets dynamics” in October 2018 and two “Lunch & Learn” events dedicated to Accelerator Award program, in January and December 2018;
- Significant progress in elevating CBC’s visibility both locally and more broadly. Efforts included: a branding campaign, improvements to the CBC website (over 200 postings in 2018, including Success Stories reporting on CBC-funded investigators, a Director’s Corner blog on biomedical research, and CBC-specific and other news) and enhanced presence on social media.
Notable overall outcomes of CBC support since its inception in 2006 include:
- Discovery and cutting-edge research across all therapeutic areas — including antibiotic resistance, cancer, heart disease, drug development, mental health and neurological disorders, and diabetes — through 306 awards to faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and students;
- Recruitment of 8 outstanding senior and junior faculty members who have gone on to receive numerous national awards;
- Acquisition of state-of-the-art instruments to enable ground-breaking investigations of key biomedical questions;
- Publication of over 2210 peer-reviewed articles based on CBC-funded research;
- Establishment of six national research centers at CBC universities;
- Influx of over $616 million in additional follow-on funding garnered by the CBC-supported projects, with a total estimated economic input exceeding $2 billion for the Chicago economy overall.
To learn more about the CBC accomplishments in 2018 and to-date download the CBC Perspectives 2018 by clicking on the icon below.
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