Edison Liu, MD, President and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, and President of Human Genome Organization, The (HUGO), Elected to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)'s Board of Directors

BETHESDA, MD (July 9, 2012) – Edison “Ed” Liu, MD, was unanimously elected to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Board of Directors. He began his term June 19, 2012.

Dr. Liu joined The Jackson Laboratory, an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Bar Harbor, Maine, after serving as the founding Executive Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore. Prior to GIS, Dr. Liu was the scientific director of the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Clinical Sciences.

“Ed’s expertise in genomics and biomedical research will allow us to further our mission which is to support the NIH and improve human health,” according to Charles A. Sanders, MD, FNIH chairman.

“The election of Dr. Edison Liu to the FNIH board of directors is a signal event in the storied history of the Foundation. Dr. Liu weds an awesome intellect and world-class expertise in cancer biology, genomics, human genetics and molecular epidemiology with the compassion of a dedicated oncologist,” says Martin J. Murphy, Jr., PhD, FNIH board member. “To know Ed is to admire and respect him. This is a great day for the National Institutes of Health and its Foundation, but most of all it’s a great day for patients.”

“We can all be proud of the National Institutes of Health, which serves as the world’s model for advancing biomedical research. As a member of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, I’m looking forward to working with the private sector to build support for the medical breakthroughs we need to address critical public health issues in our nation and around the world,” says Dr. Liu.

Dr. Liu’s research has focused on the functional genomics of human cancers, particularly breast cancer, uncovering new oncogenes, and deciphering the dynamics of gene regulation on a genomic scale that modulate cancer biology. He has authored nearly 300 scientific papers and reviews, and co-authored two books.

Among the board members’ responsibilities are helping guide the FNIH’s mission and purpose; ensuring effective organizational planning; ensuring adequate resources and managing them effectively; reviewing, monitoring, and strengthening FNIH’s programs and services; and enhancing FNIH’s public standing.

In total, eight people were elected to the FNIH Board of Directors this spring. They are: Mr. Jim Donovan; Paul Herrling, PhD; Ronald L. Krall, MD; Mr. Joel S. Marcus; Mr. Steven C. Mayer; Garry A. Neil, MD; and Mrs. Nina Solarz.

About the Foundation for the NIH

Established by the United States Congress to support the mission of the NIH – improving health through scientific discovery in the search for cure – the Foundation for the NIH is a leader in identifying and addressing complex scientific and health issues. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance the NIH priorities and activities. For additional information about the Foundation for the NIH, visit www.fnih.org

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