The Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee was originally made up of nine members.  By statute, the Advisory Committee is chaired by the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). Other members of the committee are appointed by the Governor and by various leaders of the General Assembly from the fields of stem cell research, stem cell investigators, bioethics, embryology, genetics, cellular biology and business. Committee members commit to a two-year or four-year term of service.  Public Act 06-33 amended the original law and mandates the appointment of an additional eight members by July 1, 2006.  Responsibilities of the Advisory Committee include the development and oversight of the stem cell research grants-in-aid program, the development of a donated funds program to encourage the development of funds other than state appropriations for embryonic and human adult stem cell research, and the promotion of for-profit and not-for-profit stem cell and related research in the State.  The Advisory Committee is also responsible to report annually to the Governor and General Assembly on (1) the amount of grants-in-aid awarded to eligible institutions, (2) the recipients of such grants-in-aid, and (3) the current status of stem cell research in the state.

The legislation established a Stem Cell Research Peer Review Committee originally consisting of five members with demonstrated and practical knowledge, understanding and experience of the ethical and scientific implications of embryonic and adult stem cell research.  Public Act 07-252 allows the DPH Commissioner to appoint additional members as deemed necessary for the review of applications, provided the total number does not exceed fifteen.  The DPH Commissioner appoints all committee members for either two or four-year terms.  In consideration of potential conflict of interest concerns, all members appointed are from out of state, and four of the members to date are international researchers.  The Peer Review Committee reviews all grant applications for scientific and ethical merit, guided by the National Acadamies “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” The Peer Review Committee makes its recommendations on grant recipients to the Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee.

Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee

Member	Affiliation
Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. Chair	Commissioner CT Department of Public Health 410 Capitol Avenue P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134-0308
Treena Livingston Arinzeh, Ph.D.	Associate Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering New Jersey Institute of Technology University Heights 614 Fenster Hall Newark, NJ 07102-1982
Ernesto Canalis, M.D.	St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center Department of Research 114 Woodland Street Hartford, CT 06105-1299
Gerald Fishbone, M.D.	Hospital of St. Raphael New Haven, CT
Myron Genel, M.D.	Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics Child Health Research Center Yale University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics 333 Cedar Street P.O. Box 208081 New Haven, CT 06520-8081
David Goldhamer, Ph.D	Associate Professor of  Molecular and Cell Biology Director, Center for Regenerative Biology University of Connecticut 1392 Storrs Road Storrs, CT 06269-4243
Ronald Hart, Ph.D.           Anne Hiskes, Ph.D.	Associate Director and Professor Rutgers University W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neurosciences 604 Allison Road Piscataway, NJ 08854   Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director, Program on Science and Human Rights The University of Connecticut 215 Glenbrook Road Storrs, CT  06269-4098
Ann Kiessling, Ph.D.	Harvard Institutes of Medicine 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 248 Boston, MA 02115
Stephen Latham, Ph.D., J.D.	Deputy Director Yale's Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics P.O. Box 208209 New Haven, CT 06520-8209
Robert  Mandelkern	Parkinson Disease Representative to CT Stem Cell Coalition
Saraswathi Nair, M.D.	Norwalk Pathology Associates 35 Maple Street Norwalk, CT 06850
Paul Pescatello, Ph.D., J.D.	President & CEO CT United for Research Excellence, Inc. 300 George Street, Suite 561 New Haven, CT 06511
Jeffrey Seemann, Ph.D.	Dean, College of the Environment and Life Sciences University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881
Milton B. Wallack, DDS	295 Washington Avenue Hamden, CT 06518

 Back to Top