On April 1, 2016, the San Diego Chapter of ARCS Foundation, Inc., celebrated its 29th Scientist of the Year Dinner at the Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa, featuring our honored speaker and designated Scientist of the Year, Lawrence Goldstein, Ph.D. 

Dr. Goldstein is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, as well as Director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program, Scientific Director of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, and Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

Dr. Goldstein received a B.A. in biology and genetics from UCSD in 1976 and earned his Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Washington in 1980, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He was Assistant, Associate and Full Professor at Harvard University in the Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology from 1984 to 1993. 

Dr. Goldstein moved back to UCSD as Professor of Pharmacology from 1993-2000; Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute 1993-2012; Director of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 1999-present; and Distinguished Professor of Neurosciences from 2011-present.

Today his research is focused on understanding molecular mechanisms of movement inside the brain and how failures in these movement systems lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington Disease and ALS.

While Dr. Goldstein continues as an active researcher, he has also worked to establish national science policy around issues of stem cell and biomedical research.  He has testified numerous times at the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate regarding NIH funding of stem cell research, and has served in an advisory capacity to support the campaign for Proposition 71, which authorizes $3 billion in tax-free state bonds to fund stem cell research in California over 10 years.

As co-founder and consultant for the biotechnology company Cytokinetics, Dr. Goldstein has participated in the movement of new insights to private industry. He has recently published his well-received book, Stem Cells for Dummies.

Click here to view list of Dinner Sponsors.