KGI Receives $150K Grant from Beckman Coulter Foundation for New Biomarker Center
CLAREMONT, Calif., Nov. 7, 2008 – Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) today announced that the Beckman Coulter Foundation has awarded a grant of $150,000 to KGI to help establish a new program for biomarker research.
Biomarkers are used to diagnose disease, monitor disease progression and response to therapy, and are targets for the development of new drugs. They also represent the cornerstone of personalized medicine, where therapy for a specific disease will be selected based on a patient’s individual characteristics and metabolism.
“We are thrilled to receive this gift from the Beckman Coulter Foundation,” said T. Gregory Dewey, senior vice president for academic affairs, dean of faculty and Robert E. Finnigan Professor of Applied Life Sciences. “This new program will be a significant addition for faculty research and to our curriculum.”
The Center for Biomarker Research will investigate new biomarkers for rare and other diseases that are difficult to diagnose with current in vitro diagnostic tests. Initially the center will focus on biomarkers for cells, using flow cytometry, and in the future will expand to investigate other genomic and proteomic biomarkers.
A leader in advanced biological testing, Beckman Coulter, Inc. (BCI) has been one of KGI’s strongest corporate supporters. BCI has sponsored seven Team Masters Projects, which provide Master of Bioscience (MBS) students with the chance to work on real-world problems facing industry.
BCI has contributed generously to KGI throughout the years through its financial support and participation on KGI’s Corporate Advisory Council. The company also has hired several MBS graduates and provided a number of summer internships to KGI students.
KGI Background
Educating the future leaders of the bioscience industry, Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) offers an interdisciplinary graduate education through its Master of Bioscience (MBS) degree program and its PhD program in Applied Life Sciences. Using team-based learning and real-world projects, KGI’s innovative curriculum seamlessly combines applied life sciences, bioengineering, bioethics and business management. KGI also has a robust research program concentrating on the translation of basic discoveries in the life sciences into applications that can benefit society. KGI is a member of The Claremont Colleges, located in Claremont, California.
Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is dedicated to education and research aimed at translating into practice, for the benefit of society, the power and potential of the life sciences.