04/29/2010
Gov. Jindal Announces New Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Clinical Trials and Research Initiative
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Dr.
Steven B. Heymsfield, global director of Scientific Affairs and
Obesity at Merck & Co. Inc., has been named the new executive
director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, or PBRC. The
governor also announced a state challenge grant of up to $10
million to fund a new knowledge-based job-creation initiative to be
led by PBRC and implemented in partnership with the LSU Health
Sciences Centers in New Orleans and Shreveport to cultivate
clinical trials and research related to obesity and diabetes.
To receive the full $10 million state challenge grant, PBRC will
be required to secure grants from federal agencies and corporations
sufficient to create at least 250 permanent, new positions based
initially in New Orleans, primarily at LSU Health Sciences Center,
and later across the state, including Shreveport's LSU Health
Sciences Center. These positions will be for scientific and
technical staff performing research and clinical trials in obesity
and diabetes. PBRC also must raise an additional $10 million in
matching funds from philanthropic contributions. The 250 new
positions will be over and above the hundreds of new positions that
will be created at Pennington in Baton Rouge after its current
capital improvements program is completed.
"I'm excited to announce that the Pennington Biomedical Research
Center has been able to attract a strong new director, Dr. Steven
Heymsfield, to take it to the next level," said Gov. Jindal.
"Equally exciting, I'm thrilled to announce that we are providing
an innovative state challenge grant that will enable Pennington to
create 250 new, high-paying jobs related to clinical trials and
research focused on obesity and diabetes. Our one-time challenge
grant of $10 million will enable Pennington to attract up to $100
million in new federal and corporate funding over the next 10
years. Pennington has long been an economic engine for Baton Rouge;
and today's announcement strengthens Pennington's presence in Baton
Rouge, while also cultivating new job-creation opportunities for
New Orleans and Shreveport.
"Pennington is a source of pioneering research, innovation and
entrepreneurship, making it one of our state's top economic assets.
Its researchers are starting their own companies, attracting
venture capital and developing promising commercial ventures. So it
is critical that we continue strengthening Pennington's economic
development role and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit that
enables Pennington to transfer its research from the laboratory to
the marketplace. Today's announcement represents an opportunity to
further expand on Pennington's leveraged research model in which a
targeted state investment results in the attraction of a much
larger amount of federal and corporate grants."
"We live at a time of great scientific transformation with
eradication of many infectious diseases that have plagued mankind
for centuries, including the people of Louisiana," said Dr.
Heymsfield. "Our longer life spans, ample food supply and ever
decreasing need to perform physical activities have ushered in a
wave of epidemic, nutrition-based, chronic diseases that are
relatively new to medical science and that take their toll not only
in adults, but in growing children. Some of these conditions, such
as obesity and diabetes, disproportionally affect the people of
Louisiana and the United States as a whole. I see this appointment
as a great opportunity to promote the highest level of academic
scholarship in search of the causes, treatment and prevention of
nutrition-based chronic diseases."
PBRC will be required to create the 250 new positions within
five years at an average salary of at least $56,000, plus benefits,
paid for with non-state funding sources. Louisiana Economic
Development estimates these 250 new jobs, most of which will be
based in the Greater New Orleans Biosciences Economic Development
District, or GNOBEDD, and in Shreveport, will lead to the creation
of approximately 250 new indirect jobs, as well as about $17
million in new, state and local tax revenue over the life of the
10-year agreement. The $10 million challenge grant will be used to
recruit MD and clinical researchers, who in turn will cultivate
national grant opportunities, and to complete development of a new
imaging center at PBRC. PBRC will develop a clinical support
infrastructure across the state, helping local medical centers and
other healthcare facilities attract and conduct clinical trials in
obesity, diabetes and other related diseases.
Gov. Jindal was joined at the event by LSU System President John
Lombardi, PBRC Executive Director Claude Bouchard, LED Secretary
Stephen Moret, Baton Rouge Area Chamber President and CEO Adam
Knapp, Greater New Orleans Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht,
GNOBEDD President and CEO James McNamara, North Louisiana Economic
Partnership President Kurt Foreman and Biomedical Research
Foundation of Northwest Louisiana President and CEO John F.
Sharp.
"LSU is remarkably fortunate to have captured the talent,
experience and expertise of Steve Heymsfield to lead us in the next
stage of development of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
as we compete for a rapid expansion of the PBRC's mission and
portfolio," said Lombardi. "Pennington has had an impressive
history of research and clinical success, and the strong support of
our governor has clearly signaled the key role Pennington plays in
the state's economic development strategy. The state challenge
grant builds on the governor's previous commitment to the physical
infrastructure required for competitive research success, and
recognizes the dynamic future Pennington has under its new
Executive Director Steve Heymsfield."
LED recently developed a new "blue ocean" strategic growth plan
for Louisiana that identifies 12 narrowly targeted growth sectors
that can help position Louisiana to economically outperform the
South and the U.S. over the next 20 years. One of LED's top 12
growth targets is cultivating research, clinical trials and
treatment opportunities related to obesity and diabetes. Pennington
already is a leader in the study of obesity and preventive
medicine, so the institution has been identified as a foundational
element of LED's growth strategy for Louisiana. LED estimates that
the obesity and diabetes research and treatment opportunity in
Louisiana, including but not limited to Pennington's activities,
could result in the creation of up to 4,000 new direct and indirect
jobs over the next 20 years.
"We have long talked about the potential of higher education to
contribute to the creation of high-paying, professional jobs in our
state," said Moret. "Today's announcement with Pennington
represents one of the most tangible opportunities yet for us to
capitalize on our research capabilities to create economic growth.
If this unique partnership generates the results we anticipate it
will produce, we expect to replicate this model with other research
institutions in Louisiana in the future."
Knapp said the $10 million commitment by the state will increase
PBRC's competitiveness through new research and clinical resources,
which will help it reach its potential of becoming a "top 10 in 10
years" biomedical research institution that BRAC put forth in its
2008 white paper, "Advancing PBRC to Preeminence: Securing
Louisiana's Knowledge-based Economic Foundation." Knapp added, "We
have a rare asset in Pennington, and BRAC is excited to have a new
leader and new resources for a clinical strategy to take this
national-caliber research center to the next level."
"The state's commitment to creating innovative jobs and LED's
'blue ocean' strategy are critical to the success of North
Louisiana and the state as a whole," said Foreman. "This
announcement today shows how a world-class asset in one portion of
the state can impact other regions. LSU Health Sciences Center in
Shreveport is a jewel for northern Louisiana and the state. The
excellent work by the LSU HSC and the Biomedical Research
Foundation makes it possible for Shreveport and our region to be a
key component of this innovative initiative by Pennington for years
to come."
"The announcement of Dr. Heymsfield's appointment and the $10
million state challenge grant is exciting on many levels: a new
proven leader for a key institution, a great opportunity to
translate our research into jobs and, importantly, a further
integration of the economic development efforts of multiple regions
in Louisiana," said Hecht. "The Greater New Orleans Biosciences
Economic Development District holds the promise of thousands of
jobs and an array of life-improving research; this announcement
will be key to unlocking that potential."
"Dr. Heymsfield's appointment, along with the announcement of
the governor's challenge grant, are raising Louisiana's
knowledge-based initiatives to a new level," said McNamara. "Our
state is demonstrating its ability to collaborate across
disciplines and regions to produce research, trials and treatment
opportunities that will make us national leaders. It is also the
soundest form of economic development for Louisiana in the 21st
century, producing high-level jobs and meaningful careers."
About Dr. Steven Heymsfield
Since 2004, Dr. Heymsfield has served in key leadership
positions at the world's second-largest pharmaceutical company,
Merck & Co., most recently, as the global director of
Scientific Affairs and Obesity. Prior to joining Merck, he served
as the deputy director of the National Institute of Health's New
York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital.
Dr. Heymsfield received his bachelor's degree from Hunter
College in New York, his degree in medicine from Mount Sinai School
of Medicine in New York, and completed his medical internship and
residency at Emory University in Atlanta. He has also served as a
professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and
Surgeons, and Columbia University Department of Biomedical
Engineering.
