Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Encyclopedia
The Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, previously Burnham Institute for Medical Research, is a non-profit
medical research institute
with locations in La Jolla, California, Orlando, Florida
, and Santa Barbara, California
. The more than 850 scientists at Sanford-Burnham are focused on revealing the fundamental molecular causes of various diseases, with research including topics such as cancer
, neuroscience
, stem cell research, diabetes and obesity
.
Research at Sanford-Burnham is supported by funding from National Institutes of Health
, National Cancer Institute
, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
among others, and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development
. In 2008, Sanford-Burnham was awarded a $97.9 million grant by NIH to establish a high-throughput screening
screening center.
William H. Fishman, M.D.
, Ph.D.
, and his wife Lillian Fishman founded the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation in 1976 after retiring from Tufts University School of Medicine
. The Foundation focused on oncodevelopment, the study of developmental biology
in conjunction with oncology
as a means to better understand cancer.
In 1996, the Foundation was renamed the Burnham Institute for Medical Research for businessman Malin Burnham, after he joined with an anonymous donor to give $10 million. In 2007, T. Denny Sanford
gave the Institute $20 million through Sanford Health
, a hospital which received significant donations from T. Denny Sanford previously, allowing it to create the Sanford Children's Health Research Center, which has sites in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
and La Jolla, CA, the latter within the campus of Sanford-Burnham. In 2010, the Institute adopted its current name following a $50 million pledge of support from Sanford.
s. The scientists who work at Sanford-Burnham include biologist
s, chemist
s, biophysicists
, engineer
s, and computer scientists
. Sanford-Burnham ranks consistently among the world's top 25 organizations for its research impact, according to Thomson Scientific
data. It also ranks among the top four research institutes in the United States
in National Institutes of Health
grant funding.
The institute now conducts a broad array of medical research activities and is home to five research centers:
, under the direction of Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti
. In 2009, this collaboration was expanded with the establishment of the Center for Nanomedicine
, directed by Dr. Jamey Marth. The Center combines UCSB's expertise in engineering with Sanford-Burnham's biomedical research to focus on creating biological devices on the atomic and molecular scale. Examples of this type of research include the creation of medicine-containing nanoparticles that can home in on and release medicine inside of a tumor.
includes state-of-the-art high-throughput screening, analytical genomics, metabolomics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and imaging facilities. These resources
are designed to facilitate inter-disciplinary research, drug discovery and translational research relevant to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Sanford-Burnham at Lake Nona is located in “Medical City”- a 600 acres (2.4 km²) health & life science cluster of bio-medical research, education and healthcare institutions. Sanford-Burnham is a cornerstone in the emerging medical city, which includes Nemours Children’s Hospital, a Veterans Affairs Medical Center
, UCF College of Medicine
& Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, M.D. Anderson Orlando Cancer Research Institute, and the University of Florida Research & Academic Center.
John C. Reed
had this to say about the Institute's experiences with the state: "We have been warmly welcomed and encouraged to launch operations in Florida by everyone we have encountered at University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University
, and other academic organizations. In fact, the willingness of these universities to partner with Burnham, including sharing expenses associated with recruiting talented scientists and establishing adjunct faculty positions for them, has played a huge role in our decision to establish a new site of operations in Florida."
The Institute's partners and collaborators include the City of Orlando
, Orange County
, the State of Florida, the University of Central Florida
College of Medicine, the Tavistock Group
, Lake Nona, the University of Florida
, the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Florida's Blood Centers, Florida Hospital, Orlando Regional Healthcare, Orlando VA Medical Center, Nemours
, Epcot Center, and the Orlando Magic
.
The award-winning architectural design is by Perkins+Will, with mechanical engineering by Affiliated Engineers, and building commissioning by SEQUIL Systems, Inc.
Sanford-Burnham scientists routinely collaborate across disciplines and campuses. For example, Sanford-Burnham’s high-throughput screening center, the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, has robotics at both the La Jolla and Lake Nona campuses.
In addition, Sanford-Burnham has strong working relationships with a number of other organizations, including the University of California, San Diego
, The Scripps Research Institute
, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
, and Duke University
's Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center.
Sanford-Burnham also collaborates with pharmaceutical companies to move research breakthroughs from the lab out to the public. Recent agreements include partners such as Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development and Magellan Biosciences.
Established in 2006, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford-Burnham offers a Ph.D. degree in Molecular Medicine or Integrated Biosciences. The Graduate School trains students for careers in basic and translational research through a curriculum of focused, multi-disciplinary instruction. Sanford-Burnham is currently seeking accreditation
with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
.
Sanford-Burnham also offers a joint graduate program with the University of California, San Diego in Molecular Pathology.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
medical research institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
with locations in La Jolla, California, Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, and Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. The more than 850 scientists at Sanford-Burnham are focused on revealing the fundamental molecular causes of various diseases, with research including topics such as cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, stem cell research, diabetes and obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
.
Research at Sanford-Burnham is supported by funding from National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Driven by volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research...
among others, and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that is responsible for discovering and developing pharmaceutical drugs...
. In 2008, Sanford-Burnham was awarded a $97.9 million grant by NIH to establish a high-throughput screening
High-throughput screening
High-throughput screening is a method for scientific experimentation especially used in drug discovery and relevant to the fields of biology and chemistry. Using robotics, data processing and control software, liquid handling devices, and sensitive detectors, High-Throughput Screening allows a...
screening center.
History
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, and his wife Lillian Fishman founded the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation in 1976 after retiring from Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
The Tufts University School of Medicine is one of the eight schools that constitute Tufts University. Located on the university's health sciences campus in the Chinatown district of Boston, Massachusetts, the medical school has clinical affiliations with thousands of doctors and researchers in the...
. The Foundation focused on oncodevelopment, the study of developmental biology
Developmental biology
Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop. Modern developmental biology studies the genetic control of cell growth, differentiation and "morphogenesis", which is the process that gives rise to tissues, organs and anatomy.- Related fields of study...
in conjunction with oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
as a means to better understand cancer.
In 1996, the Foundation was renamed the Burnham Institute for Medical Research for businessman Malin Burnham, after he joined with an anonymous donor to give $10 million. In 2007, T. Denny Sanford
T. Denny Sanford
Thomas Denny Sanford is a South Dakota businessman and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of United National Corp.-Business ventures:...
gave the Institute $20 million through Sanford Health
Sanford Health-MeritCare
Sanford Health is a non-profit, integrated health care delivery system, with its headquarters based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with additional offices in Fargo, North Dakota. It was formed on with the merger of Sanford Health, based out of Sioux Falls and MeritCare Health System, based out of...
, a hospital which received significant donations from T. Denny Sanford previously, allowing it to create the Sanford Children's Health Research Center, which has sites in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
and La Jolla, CA, the latter within the campus of Sanford-Burnham. In 2010, the Institute adopted its current name following a $50 million pledge of support from Sanford.
Research
Sanford-Burnham was founded with its primary focus on cancer research. The institute employees more than 1,000 people, of which over 850 are scientistScientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s. The scientists who work at Sanford-Burnham include biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
s, chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
s, biophysicists
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s, and computer scientists
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. Sanford-Burnham ranks consistently among the world's top 25 organizations for its research impact, according to Thomson Scientific
Thomson Scientific
Thomson Scientific was one of the five operating divisions of The Thomson Corporation until 2008. Following the merger of Thomson with Reuters to form Thomson Reuters in 2008, it became the Scientific business unit of the new company. In 2009, the Scientific business came together with the...
data. It also ranks among the top four research institutes in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
grant funding.
The institute now conducts a broad array of medical research activities and is home to five research centers:
- an NCI-designated Cancer CenterNCI-designated Cancer CenterNCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of approximately 66 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute....
; - the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences, Aging and Stem Cell Research;
- the InfectiousInfectious diseaseInfectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
and InflammatoryInflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
Disease Center; - the Diabetes and Obesity Research Center;
- and the Sanford Children's Health Research Center.
Stem cell research
Sanford-Burnham is one of four institutes that have joined together to carry out stem cell research in a partnership renamed for T. Denny Sanford after he donated $30 million to the effort in 2008. The Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in December 2009 broke ground on a $126 million research facility following more than a year of financing delays wrought by California's budget problems.Nanomedicine
In 2006, Sanford-Burnham opened a Santa Barbara location in collaboration with the University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, under the direction of Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti
Erkki Ruoslahti
Erkki Ruoslahti is a cancer researcher at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and University of California Santa Barbara.Ruoslahti made seminal contributions to biology of extracellular matrix and its receptors....
. In 2009, this collaboration was expanded with the establishment of the Center for Nanomedicine
Nanomedicine
Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology. Nanomedicine ranges from the medical applications of nanomaterials, to nanoelectronic biosensors, and even possible future applications of molecular nanotechnology. Current problems for nanomedicine involve understanding the issues related...
, directed by Dr. Jamey Marth. The Center combines UCSB's expertise in engineering with Sanford-Burnham's biomedical research to focus on creating biological devices on the atomic and molecular scale. Examples of this type of research include the creation of medicine-containing nanoparticles that can home in on and release medicine inside of a tumor.
Select scientific achievements
- 1971: Eva EngvallEva EngvallEva Engvall, born 1940, is one of the scientists who invented ELISA in 1971.-Vita:Dr. Engvall earned her Ph.D. from the University of Stockholm in 1975. Her postdoctoral work was done at the University of Helsinki and City of Hope National Medical Center in California, where she was subsequently...
, one of the scientists who invented ELISAELISAEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assay , is a popular format of a "wet-lab" type analytic biochemistry assay that uses one sub-type of heterogeneous, solid-phase enzyme immunoassay to detect the presence of a substance in a liquid sample."Wet lab" analytic biochemistry assays involves detection of an...
in 1971, worked at Sanford-Burnham. She continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor. - 1984: Discovered cell adhesion regulator RGD (Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D.)
- 1988: Collaborative discovery of the role TGF beta plays in tissue scarring. Based on this research, two clinical trials are underway: one for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosisPulmonary fibrosisPulmonary fibrosis is the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue in the lungs. It is also described as "scarring of the lung".-Symptoms:Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are mainly:...
and another for the treatment of renal cell carcinomaRenal cell carcinomaRenal cell carcinoma is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, the very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 80% of cases...
and melanomaMelanomaMelanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
(Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D.) - 1992: Observed that the activity of common anti-cancer drugs requires “cell suicide” of the cancer cells (apoptosis) and subsequently discovered novel proteins important in apoptosis (John Reed, M.D., Ph.D.)
- 1997: Discovered peptides that home to specific organs. These peptides were later used as targeting elements to deliver nanoparticles into tumors and other sites of disease (Erkki Ruoshlahti, M.D., Ph.D.)
- 2001: Solved the 3-dimensional structure of the anthraxAnthraxAnthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
toxin, leading to the creation of the world’s most potent chemical inhibitor of anthrax (Robert Liddington, Ph.D.) - 2009: Solved the crystal structure of the influenza hemagglutinin (H5) in complex with a broad spectrum neutralizing antibody (Robert Liddington, Ph.D.)
Florida Campus
Sanford-Burnham recently expanded operations to Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida. The Lake Nona campus is home to the Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, and alsoincludes state-of-the-art high-throughput screening, analytical genomics, metabolomics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and imaging facilities. These resources
are designed to facilitate inter-disciplinary research, drug discovery and translational research relevant to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Sanford-Burnham at Lake Nona is located in “Medical City”- a 600 acres (2.4 km²) health & life science cluster of bio-medical research, education and healthcare institutions. Sanford-Burnham is a cornerstone in the emerging medical city, which includes Nemours Children’s Hospital, a Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the medical assistance program of the VA through the administration and operation of numerous VA outpatient clinics,...
, UCF College of Medicine
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
The UCF College of Medicine is an academic college of the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA. The dean of the college is Deborah C. German, M.D....
& Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, M.D. Anderson Orlando Cancer Research Institute, and the University of Florida Research & Academic Center.
John C. Reed
John C. Reed
John C. Reed is director of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, San Diego, California and a pioneer in the field of apoptosis particularly with regard to cancer; he was studying oncogenes and discovered that some of them appeared to regulate cell death rather than cell...
had this to say about the Institute's experiences with the state: "We have been warmly welcomed and encouraged to launch operations in Florida by everyone we have encountered at University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, and other academic organizations. In fact, the willingness of these universities to partner with Burnham, including sharing expenses associated with recruiting talented scientists and establishing adjunct faculty positions for them, has played a huge role in our decision to establish a new site of operations in Florida."
The Institute's partners and collaborators include the City of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, the State of Florida, the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
College of Medicine, the Tavistock Group
Tavistock Group
Tavistock Group is an international private investment company founded by British businessperson Joe Lewis. The U.S. headquarters is located in Tavistock House in unincorporated Orange County, Florida....
, Lake Nona, the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Florida's Blood Centers, Florida Hospital, Orlando Regional Healthcare, Orlando VA Medical Center, Nemours
Nemours
Nemours is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Geography:Nemours is located on the Loing and its canal, c...
, Epcot Center, and the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
.
The award-winning architectural design is by Perkins+Will, with mechanical engineering by Affiliated Engineers, and building commissioning by SEQUIL Systems, Inc.
Collaboration and partnerships
In addition, Sanford-Burnham has strong working relationships with a number of other organizations, including the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is a premier independent, non-profit, scientific research institute located in La Jolla, California. It was founded in 1960 by Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine; among the founding consultants were Jacob Bronowski and Francis Crick. Building...
, and Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
's Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center.
Sanford-Burnham also collaborates with pharmaceutical companies to move research breakthroughs from the lab out to the public. Recent agreements include partners such as Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development and Magellan Biosciences.
Training and education
Sanford-Burnham offers postdoctoral training for scientists who have completed their Ph.D. There are typically around 250 postdocs training at Sanford-Burnham at any time.Established in 2006, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford-Burnham offers a Ph.D. degree in Molecular Medicine or Integrated Biosciences. The Graduate School trains students for careers in basic and translational research through a curriculum of focused, multi-disciplinary instruction. Sanford-Burnham is currently seeking accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
.
Sanford-Burnham also offers a joint graduate program with the University of California, San Diego in Molecular Pathology.