Sangamo Founder Appointed Buck Institute for Age Research’s New President and CEO

NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Buck Institute for Research on Aging (Buck Institute) today announced the appointment of Edward Lanphier as president and chief executive officer. He succeeds Brian Kennedy, Ph.D., who resigned his position in order to devote all of his time to leading his pioneering Geroscience research at the Buck.

“The Buck Institute is indebted to Brian for his leadership over the last six years, during which time the Buck developed the nation’s first Ph.D. program in the biology of aging, and introduced the concept of Geroscience to a world-wide audience,” said Larry E. Rosenberger, Chair of the Institute’s Board of Trustees. “We understand and respect Brian’s desire to focus 100 percent of his attention on his pioneering research, and we are grateful that he will continue to help impact and drive our core mission here at the Buck.”

Mr. Lanphier, a member of the Buck Institute’s Board of Trustees since 2012, brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to this role, as well as significant nonprofit experience with globally focused research and advocacy organizations.

“The Buck Institute is privileged to have Edward to lead our team,” Mr. Rosenberger said. “He is a globally recognized thought leader in the biosciences industry, and brings to this position a lifetime of executive leadership experience, having both built and led companies that developed innovative science and novel healthcare therapeutic solutions.”

Mr. Lanphier is the Founder and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGMO), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel human therapeutics based upon targeted genome editing. Before founding Sangamo, he held management positions at some of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry’s most respected companies, including Eli Lilly, Synergen, and Somatix.

In addition to his business experience, Mr. Lanphier brings strong academic involvement to the Buck. He is a past chair of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the preeminent global advocate for regenerative and advanced therapies; a member of the Industry Advisory Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine; and serves on the Advisory Board of the Biotechnology Institute, and the Dean’s Advisory Board of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

“I am deeply honored to be asked to lead the exceptional scientists and staff of the Buck Institute, and I sincerely appreciate the confidence that the Board of Trustees has placed in me,” Mr. Lanphier said. “I’m eager to continue to accelerate the good work that Brian and the scientists at the Institute have underway, by focusing on our core mission of extending ‘healthspan,’ - the healthy years of life.”

Long-time Buck trustee and noted architect M. Arthur Gensler, Jr., FAIA, noted, “The Buck Institute is committed to accelerating our ability to find therapies and solutions to extend the healthy years of life. Brian’s leadership and ongoing research have put us on a significant path toward that goal. Now, Edward’s business acumen, combined with his deep knowledge and experience in bioscience, will enable us to identify an even broader group of partners to enhance our impact and reach.”

These changes are effective immediately.

About the Buck Institute for Research on Aging

The Buck Institute is the U.S.’s first independent research organization devoted to Geroscience – focused on the connection between normal aging and chronic disease. Based in Novato, California, the Buck is dedicated to extending “healthspan,” the healthy years of human life, and does so by utilizing a unique interdisciplinary approach involving laboratories studying the mechanisms of aging and those focused on specific diseases. Buck scientists strive to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, cancer, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, diabetes and stroke. In their collaborative research, they are supported by the most recent developments in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and stem cell technologies. For more information: www.thebuck.org.