breaking through 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
Buck’s Healthy Aging Cheat Sheet* The lifestyle interventions listed here show promise for healthy aging. More research is needed in order to make solid recommendations. Please consider supporting our research into how to live a long and healthy life.
EXERCISE
NUTRITION
• Keep moving! If exercise were a pill, we’d prescribe it.
• Try to limit your daily food intake to about 2,000 calories (women) or 2,500 calories (men). Modify this by level of activity and body size.
• The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise. • Combine aerobic exercises like walking or cycling with strength training—balance and core strength are particularly important as we age. • Try group exercise or a hike with friends—staying socially active during physical activity keeps you mentally engaged.
SLEEP • Studies show that 7 hours a night is optimal for most. • If your sleep seems disrupted, get evaluated for sleep apnea. • Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime. You’ll sleep better and it will be easier for your brain to clear out unwanted proteins.
• The Mediterranean diet scores highest for healthy aging—eat mostly vegetables (your plate should resemble a rainbow!), good fats/oils like nuts, and only small amounts of red meat. • Minimize sugars, simple carbohy drates, and sweeteners. • Aging research has long linked caloric restriction in model animals to increased lifespan. Some scientists now promote intermittent fasting, which can range from not eating for 12 hours each day to restricting calories for a few days a month. • Track key biomarkers—vitamin D, blood glucose, and homocysteine. Ask your physician to help you get them to optimum levels. • Recent research links gut health with brain health. Gut-friendly probiotics can be found in unsweetened yogurts, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut.
* Before making any major changes in your daily habits, be sure to talk to your physician. For an expanded Cheat Sheet, e-mail info@buckinstitute.org.
breaking through 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
the buck index 2015 celebrates aging! Researchers at the Georgia Tech School of Psychology have discovered the biggest predictor of success in completing crossword puzzles—experience. Older adults perform just as well as younger subjects, if not better.2
At the 2014 Senior Olympics in Providence, RI, 83-year-old Janet Freeman ranked 39 in the world in the 100-meter dash (World Masters Rankings). Competing in 1999 at age 67, she told Mike Clary of the Los Angeles Times, “I started this in 1981, and I’m going to keep going.”
Federal statistics reveal that U.S. drivers between the ages of 64 and 69 are the safest drivers because they have more experience, wear seat belts more often, drive fewer miles, and are more likely to follow speed limits.4
Dr. Kathleen Taylor, a professor at St. Mary’s College in California and an international authority on adult learning, reports that among all age groups, older adults exhibit the greatest capacity for empathy—an attitude learned and refined as we age. “Because of their greater capacity to empathize, older people can have a better sense of the things that may charge up another person’s brain and get them excited.”3
In a Wired magazine interview, Apple’s Steve Jobs offered this view on the value of older workers: “A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experi ences. … They end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspec tive on the problem. The broader one’s under standing of the human experience, the better design we will have.”
Rick
About 70,000 of the estimated 450,000 centenarians living today reside in the U.S.—the most of any nation and the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population.1
man
Rick
Let’s lose our biases! In Educational Gerontology, experts say stereotypes of aging influence how older adults are treated by society and their peers. Minimizing such stereotypes will make it easier for them to be active, recover from illness, and live longer, healthier lives.5
Our sense of well-being gets better with age. Older Americans score higher for well-being compared to younger adults, and those who are 75 and older have even higher well-being than those 65 to 74.6
1 Joe Volz, “Successful Aging: The Second 50,” American Psychological Association, Vol 31, No. 1, January 2000. http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan00/cs.aspx
3 Amanda Enayati, “The Aging Brain: Why Getting Older Just Might Be Awesome,” CNN, June 19, 2012. http://www.cnn. com/2012/06/19/health/enayati-aging-brain-innovation/
2 T. Salthouse and D. Hambrick, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol. 128, No. 2, 131–164. Georgia Tech School of Psychology, 1999. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/10406103
4 “Seniors vs. Teens: Who Are the Safer Drivers?”Autoblog: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/17/seniors-teenssafer-drivers/
2 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
5 Sean Hortona, J. Bakerb, and J.M. Deakina, “Stereotypes of Aging: Their Effects on the Health of Seniors in North American Society,” Educational Gerontology 33:12, 1021–1035; published online 06 Dec 2007 6 “State of American Well-Being: State Well-Being Rankings for Older Americans.” A report based on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. http://www.well-beingindex.com/
n ma ick Ric kR
Older Americans have better access to healthcare than those under 55 and are more likely to have health insurance, a personal doctor, and access to medicine. They also eat more fresh produce and smoke less.7
Mortality rates among Medicare patients fell 16% from 1999 to 2013—a rate equal to more than 300,000 fewer deaths per year in 2013 than in 1999. Faculty at the Yale School of Medicine who led the study called this “jaw dropping.”8
Laguna Beach surfing legend Eve Fletcher rode her last wave two years ago at age 85. At 73 she was the oldest woman in a surf competition for seniors, competing in a field of 60 surfers over age 55. “It´s still a thrill to ride the waves. You get a high even when you´re my age.”10
At age 86, ant expert E. O. Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Harvard University, is one of the most influential field biologists, thinkers, and writers of our time. Publishing a book every two years on average, he travels widely, speaking out for conservation and bridging divides between ideological opponents by focusing on the common ground between them.11
Jim n
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In October 2014, Nan “Drag’n Fly” Reisinger became the oldest woman to thru-hike all 2,182 miles of the Appalachian Trail in the same year.12
Medicare hospitaliza tion rates among feefor-service patients fell 24%—more than 3 million fewer hospi talizations—between 1999 and 2013. The study also found that patients were 45% less likely to die during their hospital stay, 24% less likely to die within a month of admission, and 22% less likely to die within a year.9
7 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
8 Harlan M. Krumholz, Sudhakar V. Nuti, Nicholas S. Downing, Sharon-Lise T. Normand, and Yun Wang, “Mortality, Hospitalizations, and Expenditures for the Medicare Population Aged 65 Years or Older, 1999-2013,” JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 314, Number 4, July 28, 2015. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2411282
10 Meghann M. Cuniff, “Surfing Legends Celebrate San Onofre with New Exhibit,” Orange County Register, February 14, 2014. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ san-602976-surfing-onofre.html 11 “E.O. Wilson,” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson
After 53 years, the Rolling Stones are gathering no moss. On July 16 they concluded their ZIP CODE tour of North America, performing before a record-breaking 102,000 fans in Quebec. Lead singer Mick Jagger is 72.13
12 B.J. Small, “74-Year-Old Camp Hill Woman Becomes Oldest Female to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail,” The Sentinel, October 19, 2014. http://cumberlink.com/news/local/yearold-camp-hill-woman-becomes-oldest-female-to-thru/ article_3d1bc238-580a-11e4-8e8f-43433024199c.html 13 The Rolling Stones website. http://www.rollingstones.com/
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 3
Letter from CEO Brian Kennedy and Board Chair Larry E. Rosenberger
W
elcome to the Buck Institute’s 2015 Annual Report. There is good reason why we chose “Breaking Through” as the overarching theme for this report—this year we saw the type of change we always knew was possible. Geroscience and its potential to extend healthspan are no longer conceptual. They became embedded in national and international research programs and scientific publications, and they received national media coverage that exceeded our expectations. Buck scientists helped drive the change, taking on important roles at NIH-sponsored summits and making leading contributions to an overarching strategy (page 15) to integrate aging into research on chronic diseases in efforts taking place from Washington, DC, to Santiago, Chile.
Brian Kennedy and Larry Rosenberger
It was also a year of breakthroughs within the Institute. The Buck began what we expect will be a fruitful, long-term partnership with Google-founded Calico (page 12). The relationship, which raised our stature throughout the industry, will bring research funding to the Institute. We also established a new internal leadership model, elevating key faculty to positions of Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Academic Officer (page 6) to capitalize on funding opportunities from the federal government and foundations and to ensure the success of our new PhD program in the biology of aging, developed in collaboration with USC. As in previous years, our scientists were recognized internationally and nationally with major financial awards for their pioneering work (page 13)—Judith Campisi, on the connection between cancer and aging and the emerging field of “inflammaging,” and Henri Jasper, for developing a model for studying many of the dysfunctions that plague the digestive system with age. We published in prestigious journals, making advances in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s research, and introduced the new paradigm of “intermittent dosing” for treating age-related disease. We also broke through with significant media coverage. The Buck and our mission to extend healthspan were highlighted in a cover story in The Atlantic magazine, and our faculty and research will be featured in an upcoming Breakthrough special on the National Geographic Channel. “Brain Maker,” our first live-streamed event from the Drexler Auditorium, reached a global audience via YouTube and has been viewed more than 22,000 times. Our philanthropic efforts were energized with a $5 million pledge (page 19) and the launch of new donor-based groups that facilitate personal interaction with scientists and educators to show the future impact of funded programs (page 18). The Buck Advisory Council now numbers 96, and 800 people now take part in our basic Membership program. Involvement in both are at all-time highs. If you are reading this report, it is likely that you also contributed to the momentum shift that occurred in 2015. We are grateful to each of you for your support as the Buck continues to break through in aging and biomedical research. Please join us as we celebrate our achievements in the report that follows. We look forward to working with you as we further resolve to extend healthspan so that growing older no longer means growing ill.
Brian K. Kennedy, PhD President and Chief Executive Officer
4 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Larry E. Rosenberger
Chair, Board of Trustees
The Buck Index 2015
breaking through
2
Expanded Leadership Team Meets New Challenges and Pursues New Opportunities
2015 ANNUAL REPORT
6
Geroscience: Breaking Through to New Audiences Buck Faculty
9
10
Year in Review
12
Buck Labs Focus on mTOR Pathway
Scientific Advisory Board 2015 Board of Trustees Financial Summary
21
22
22
Buck Advisory Council
16
Cumulative Donors and Sponsors Honor Roll of Donors Buck Staff
25
26
29
23
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 5
Expanded Leadership Team Meets New Challenges and Pursues New Opportunities
H
ow do you grow the Buck Institute during a time of reduced federal funding for research? How do you go after scientific opportunities that move aging research forward? How do you ensure there’s a pipeline of young researchers to keep the field vibrant? If you’re Buck President and CEO Brian Kennedy, you get faculty involved in key leadership roles. This past year, Gordon Lithgow became Chief Academic Officer and Henri Jasper became Chief Scientific Officer. “Henri is doing state-of-the-art research and is very motivated to promote faculty science in large arenas, and Gordon has already taken an interest in building our academic programs,” says Kennedy. “Both were obvious fits.”
A PhD PROGRAM GROUNDED IN GEROSCIENCE Lithgow says Kennedy’s success in developing the nation’s first PhD program in the biology of aging, in partnership with the University of Southern California (USC), was the key factor driving his decision to step up to the plate and take on expanded responsibilities—on top of running his own busy lab. “It’s a degree-awarding accredited program, so there was a need for us to develop appropriate curricula,” said Lithgow, who also coordinates a master’s program in biology with Dominican University. Lithgow championed the development of the Institute’s groundbreaking Geroscience program several years ago—a program initially funded by a $25 million grant from the NIH. Geroscience brings researchers
6 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
from different disciplines together to tackle aging, and Lithgow says the next generation of researchers needs to be trained to carry the torch. “These students will never be siloed into ‘I’m a molecular biologist,’ ‘I’m a geneticist,’ or ‘I just work on this particular pathway,’ ” he says. “They will understand from the get-go that aging is a complex process and that those studying it need to collaborate in creative ways and communicate across fields of expertise.”
THE NATION’S FIRST HAS TO BE THE WORLD’S BEST As Chief Scientific Officer, Jasper says he has two jobs—to advocate internally for science and to have a vision for the Buck’s larger leadership role in contributing to a scientific field that’s expanding rapidly. The Buck was the nation’s first biomedical institute to focus on aging. Jasper says the fact that other organizations are now tackling aging science means the Buck was successful in establishing and broadening the field. “We have to keep the momentum going,” he says, noting the importance of this year’s partnership with Google-founded Calico. “It’s not about riding the wave of aging research, but making sure we are right on the edge, breaking through the surf.” Jasper is particularly excited about the work various labs are doing on inflammatory processes—a hot topic in the field of age research. He believes the Buck is leading the way in intervention and testing programs aimed at identifying compounds that impact aging, and he says the Buck’s collaborative environment is supporting valuable work on a “systems” approach to aging.
Gordon Lithgow, Brian Kennedy, and Henri Jasper
GETTING PREPARED FOR A NEW INTERNATIONAL ROLE AND NEW RESPONSIBILITIES Going into 2016, the new leadership team will also be charting a course for the Buck’s participation in a major project bringing age research to South America. Late this summer, the Chilean government committed $6.5 million for “The Center for Geroscience, Brain Health, and Metabolism”—a program that Kennedy and Jasper helped design. Kennedy expects joint research projects to be launched between the Buck and the Chilean center. Postdoctoral fellows will come to the Buck’s Novato campus for training and education, and Buck faculty will travel to Santiago to provide expertise with neurobiology and stem cell technology. “The Chilean government has made a major investment in the health of its citizens,” says Kennedy. “We are honored to help them build their program.”
Gordon Lithgow, Henri Jasper, and Brian Kennedy 8 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
A RELATIONSHIP THAT’S WORKING All three scientists say they are getting a lot out of a process that Jasper describes as “both creative and pragmatic.” Kennedy gets a sounding board and launch pad for big ideas. Lithgow gets the reward of building new educational programs and interacting with happy students. And Jasper gets to appreciate a larger scientific vision while having a front-row seat on some of the best research in the business. “The Institute is maturing,” says Kennedy. “While our mission and objective—to extend healthspan—remains the same, we need to be ready to respond to new opportunities as they present themselves. We also need a means of dealing with the challenges that naturally occur along the way. I’m grateful to have Henri and Gordon on board in these new roles.”
Geroscience: Breaking Through to New Audiences From a popular cable-television special to a commentary in a prestigious scientific journal, aging research—including the link between aging and chronic disease that the Buck coined as “Geroscience”— continues to show up on new radar screens: • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration met with aging researchers who plan on launching a clinical trial of the diabetes drug metformin to see if it can delay or prevent other age-associated conditions. The meeting was significant because the agency does not consider aging itself to be a disease. • Google-founded Calico jumped into the field with a mission “to harness advanced technologies to increase our understanding of the biology that controls lifespan.” The Buck became one of its early partners. • The pharmaceutical company Novartis proved rapamycin, a drug used after kidney transplantation, safely boosted immune response in older adults who received the flu vaccine.
Macromolecular damage Stem cells and regeneration
Epigenetics
The Seven Pillars of Aging Proteostasis
• The National Geographic Channel spent two days at the Buck this past spring interviewing faculty and gathering footage in our labs for a segment of their Breakthrough series, “The Age of Aging,” which is set to air on November 29.
Inflammation
Metabolism
Adaptation to stress
• The commentary “Geroscience: Linking Aging to Chronic Disease” was published in Cell by leading scientists with Buck CEO Brian Kennedy as lead author. The authors, who included Buck faculty Judith Campisi and Gordon Lithgow, have been involved in delaying mammalian aging with genetic, dietary, and pharmacological approaches. They identified a research strategy for seven highly intertwined “pillars of aging”—the next step in supporting the trans-NIH Geroscience Interest Group’s efforts to integrate aging research into research on chronic diseases. • Kennedy followed up the commentary with an appearance at the Healthy Aging Summit, organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He helped introduce Geroscience to an audience that included AARP, geriatricians, and leading social service agencies from around the country. “More and more people are interested in healthy aging and in extending healthspan,” says Kennedy. “It’s heartening to talk to pharmaceutical experts, doctors, and government officials who are eager to develop interventions that can make a difference in people’s lives.”
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 9
Martin Brand PhD, Professor
Altered energy metabolism and radical production in aging and disease
Buck Faculty “What I’m most proud of is that we’re bold. Our scientists are not afraid to be daring—to go out there and tackle an urgent and important biomedical need that has been underrepresented.” —Brian Kennedy
Chris Benz
MD, Professor Bench-to-bedside and community efforts to reduce breast cancer incidence and improve patient outcomes
Julie K. Andersen
Judith Campisi
PhD, Professor
PhD, Professor
Targeting cell death in Parkinson’s disease, identification of novel therapeutics
Senescence-related mechanisms that link tumor suppression and the development of cancer to aging and the major diseases that are associated with aging
Rachel Brem
PhD, Associate Professor Understanding how and why traits related to longevity and the diseases of aging differ between individuals
Dale Bredesen
David Greenberg
MD, Professor
MD, PhD, Professor
Mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and potential therapeutics
Vascular and neuronal mechanisms in stroke
Bradford W. Gibson PhD, Professor
Understanding the biological and chemical processes that are common to both agerelated diseases and aging
Jennifer L. Garrison PhD, Assistant Professor
Uncovering the role of neuropeptides in aging and disease
10 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Deepak A. Lamba MBBS, PhD, Assistant Professor
Development of stem cell technologies for treating vision disorders
Lisa Ellerby
Heinrich Jasper
PhD, Associate Professor
PhD, Professor
Understanding the pathways that lead to nerve cell death in Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders
Enhancing stem cell function to promote longevity
Robert Hughes
PhD, Associate Professor Understanding the mechanisms of aging and neurodegeneration in healthy adults and in people with disorders such as Huntington’s disease
Pejmun Haghighi
Gordon Lithgow
PhD, Professor
PhD, Professor
Tuning neural function as it relates to aging and agerelated diseases
Uncovering genes and small molecules that prolong lifespan through enhanced molecular stability
Pankaj Kapahi PhD, Professor
Understanding the role of nutrition and energy metabolism in lifespan and disease
Brian K. Kennedy
Arvind Ramanathan
PhD, Buck Institute President, CEO, and Professor
PhD, Assistant Professor Environmental signaling and metabolomics of aging and disease
Moving research in aging from simple organisms into mammals to improve human health
David G. Nicholls PhD, Professor
Mitochondrial function and the life and death of cells
Simon Melov
Xianmin Zeng
PhD, Professor
PhD, Associate Professor
Maintaining function with age
Developing stem-cell-based treatments for neurodegenerative disorders
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 11
year in review TOP INDUSTRY AGREEMENT
Calico and the Buck Institute Are Collaborating on Research into Aging and Potential Therapeutics for Age-related Diseases “ Given the Buck’s exclusive focus on aging, we believe that there’s great potential to increase our understanding of the biology of aging.” —Hal Barron, President of Research and Development at Calico
Google-founded Calico and the Buck Institute announced their new collaboration to support research into longevity and age-related diseases this past spring. The two companies found common ground in their dedication to understanding the biology that controls lifespan and developing new therapeutics aimed at helping people live longer, healthier lives.
Under the agreement, Calico has the opportunity to identify, fund, and support innovative research ranging from basic biology to potential therapies for age-related diseases. Additionally, Calico is establishing and maintaining certain science operations at the Buck with the goal of closely collaborating with the research scientists in the Buck’s 20 laboratories.
“Given the Buck’s exclusive focus on aging, we believe that there’s great potential to increase our understanding of the biology of aging and to accelerate the translation of emerging insights into therapies to help patients with age-related diseases,” says Hal Barron, President of Research and Development at Calico.
“We are excited to forge this new partnership with Calico, which represents a unique way for academic researchers focused on aging and the biotech industry to work together,” says Buck President and CEO Brian Kennedy. “It’s a great partnership between two like-minded organizations.”
TOP GRANT FROM THE NIH The Kennedy and Jasper labs were awarded $3.7 million by the NIH to focus on stem cell longevity. The five-year project combines the strength of the fruit fly system with genetic studies in mice to understand the role of mTOR signaling in maintaining the health of adult stem cells in both species. The work builds on striking similarities between the cells that line the intestines of the fruit fly and those that line the trachea of mice. The project may someday benefit those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects over 24 million Americans. Fruit fly intestine 12 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
FACULTY AWARDS Judith Campisi receives first Olav Thon Foundation Prize When Buck faculty Judith Campisi got an e-mail in January asking if she could talk to someone from the University of Oslo, she agreed, expecting to be asked to join a scientific review committee or advisory board. But when she picked up the phone, she was told there was good news—the Olav Thon Foundation, Norway’s largest charitable organization, had awarded its first international research award in medical and natural sciences to her and Tel Aviv University Professor Yosef Shiloh.
Henri Jasper gets prestigious “Breakthroughs in Gerontology” award Henri Jasper thinks having a healthy gut may be the key to living a long, healthy life. The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) awarded him their prestigious “Breakthroughs in Gerontology” (BIG) award this year to help him prove his point.
ABOVE Henri Jasper TOP Judy Campisi receives Olav Thon Foundation Prize RIGHT Mark Collins, President of the Glenn Foundation (left), and Pankaj Kapahi
The two-year, $200,000 BIG award provides timely support to a small number of research projects that are building on early discoveries that show translational potential for clinically relevant strategies that address human aging and healthspan. Jasper’s research is providing a model for studying many of the dysfunctions that plague the digestive system with age.
Terje Heiestad, Millimeterpress
Campisi attended the award ceremony in Oslo in March and received $330,000. The foundation recognized Campisi for her pioneering work on the connection between aging and cancer and the emerging field of “inflammaging.”
$60,000 grant from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research is given to outstanding researchers in the aging research field. Kapahi, who organized the meeting, runs the largest lab at the Buck. His research is focused on understanding the role of nutrition and energy metabolism in lifespan and disease. His team has diverse projects under way, including understanding the link between aging and nutrients, gut function, calcification, circadian clocks, and diabetic complications.
Pankaj Kapahi receives Glenn Award at Bay Area Aging Meeting Pankaj Kapahi received a Glenn Award at this spring’s Bay Area Aging Meeting, which was held at the Buck Institute. The unsolicited
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 13
year in review PUBLISHED RESEARCH • Publishing in Nature Cell Biology, the Campisi lab showed that intermittent dosing with rapamycin selectively breaks the cascade of inflammatory events that follow cellular senescence, a phenomenon in which cells cease to divide in response to DNA-damaging agents, including many chemotherapies. The study shows that once disrupted, it takes time for the inflammatory loop to reestablish, providing proof-of-principle that intermittent dosing could provide a way to reap the benefits of rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug that extends lifespan and healthspan in mice, while lessening safety issues associated with its use. • A small trial from the Buck Institute and UCLA reported that memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease was reversed for the first time, utilizing a therapeutic program that involves comprehensive changes in diet, brain stimulation, exercise, optimization of sleep, specific pharmaceuticals and vitamins, and multiple additional steps that affect brain chemistry. The results of the trial, which involved 10 patients and was led by Dale Bredesen, MD, were published in the journal Aging. • Ibuprofen, a common over-the-counter drug used to relieve pain and fever, could hold the key to a longer and healthier life, according to a study involving the Kennedy lab. Publishing in PLoS Genetics, scientists showed that regular doses of ibuprofen extended the lifespan of yeast, worms, and fruit flies. • Publishing in Neuron, researchers in the Brem lab discovered that a particular serotonin receptor is involved in eczema and other itch conditions. The study, done in mice and conducted with the University of California, Berkeley, suggests a way forward for new therapies.
14 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
• Researchers in the Jasper lab reported that complex signaling between the blood and stem cells controls regeneration in the fly gut. In a study published in Nature Cell Biology, researchers say impaired interactions between macrophages and stem cells are likely to play a role in human intestinal maladies such as irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, and colorectal cancers. • Research in the Andersen lab showed that low-dose lithium prevented symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in aged mice genetically engineered to develop the incurable degenerative motor disease diagnosed in about 60,000 Americans each year. Published in Brain Research, the study also showed that lithium prevented the motor impairment and dopaminergic loss that are hallmarks of the disease. • Research in the Lithgow lab suggests a link between heavy metals and aging. Publishing in Aging, researchers showed that excess iron promotes aging in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. It’s commonly believed that iron accumulation happens as a result of the aging process, and toxic levels have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. This study shows that iron accumulation itself may also be a significant contributor to the aging process.
BUCK FACULTY SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE WORLDWIDE As leaders in age research and experts in the diseases of aging, Buck faculty are frequently invited to speak at scientific conferences and other research gatherings around the globe. In 2015, the travel itineraries of our senior scientists included well over 100 locations. Pejmun Haghighi
Robert Hughes
Canadian Association for Neuroscience Vancouver, BC
Hereditary Disease Foundation Boston, MA
Gordon Lithgow Aarhus University; “Pharmacological modulation of lifespan in C. elegans” Aarhus, Denmark
Deepak Lamba International Society for Stem Cell Research Stockholm, Sweden
Julie Andersen
Lisa Ellerby
Xianmin Zeng
Rachel Brem
Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine 21st Annual Meeting Seattle, WA
Pre-investigational New Drug Meeting; Food and Drug Administration Washington, DC
The Computational Biology Seminar Series at Brown University Providence, RI
Martin Brand
Dale Bredesen
18th European Bioenergetics Conference Lisbon, Portugal
Alzheimer’s/ Parkinson’s 2015 Mechanisms Nice, France
11th International Symposium on Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging Bregenz, Austria
Simon Melov
Pankaj Kapahi
Christopher Benz
Judith Campisi
Henri Jasper
David Greenberg
Think Tank – 25, Breast Cancer Symposium Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Center for Genomic Regulation Barcelona, Spain
European Molecular Biology Organization Crete, Greece
International Conference on Aging and Disease Beijing, China
Launch, Entrepreneur’s Longevity Club Novato, CA
Arvind Ramanathan 11th International Conference of the Metabolomics Society University of California, Davis
Microbiome and Aging Conference University of Texas, San Antonio
Brad Gibson American Association for Mass Spectrometry Conference St. Louis, MO
Jennifer Garrison Biomedical Neurosciences Institute (BNI); Cellular Function in Aging Meeting Santiago, Chile
Brian Kennedy TURYAK 2015 International Conference on Longevity Istanbul, Turkey
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 15
Overachieving protein could hold the key to healthy aging
Buck Labs Focus on mTOR Pathway
M
ammals have tens of thousands of proteins that are put to work building cells, digesting food, and processing thoughts, among other gargantuan tasks—but some proteins do more work than others. The classic overachiever is mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), which is under intense investigation in several Buck labs.
The protein is in everything—from yeast to mice to people—and it’s a kinase, which means it tells other proteins when to work. In fact, mTOR is known to influence dozens, perhaps hundreds, of molecules governing cellular metabolism, protein synthesis, and other key functions. That’s one side of the equation, the downstream side. Upstream, mTOR is influenced by insulin and other signals, making it an excellent middle manager that senses the metabolic situation outside the cell and adjusts cellular function accordingly. But what makes mTOR really interesting is what happens when it takes a break. “If you turn down this mTOR kinase, it extends lifespan in yeast, worms, flies, and mice,” says Brian Kennedy, Buck Institute President and CEO. “There are emerging data that suggest it’s going to work in humans as well.” Is controlling mTOR the fountain of youth? Probably not, but researchers around the world believe it could impact many of the diseases associated with aging— Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, cancer. The list goes on. Understandably, mTOR is evoking keen interest at the Buck, and work on the protein highlights the Institute’s collaborative environment, where multiple labs are working to better understand how mTOR adjusts cellular dynamics. With the aim of extending healthspan, the labs are then translating their research results into efforts to develop treatments for a variety of diseases.
TEAM EFFORT The workhorse protein is a tempting target because it controls so many processes. Many scientists believe that by coaxing mTOR to do just a little bit less, we can make great progress against disease.
16 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Inhibiting mTOR Molecular processes and potential implications for humans
Brain Diseases
(e.g., Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Diseases)
toxic mutant proteins neurodegeneration autophagy
Aging
Cardiovascular Diseases
longevity cellular regeneration inflammaging
cardiac hypertrophy inflammation autophagy
tissue aging
Cancers proliferation inflammation
Scientists have already discovered a compound that turns mTOR down—rapamycin, an FDA-approved immune suppressor used after kidney transplantation. The trouble is that rapamycin may be too good at its job—not only turning down functions of mTOR that lead to healthy aging but also turning down functions of mTOR that are important to normal function. “Mice treated with rapamycin live longer and healthier lives, but there are also side effects,” notes Buck faculty Judith Campisi. Many researchers are looking for rapamycin analogs (rapalogs), or drugs that can provide rapamycin’s health benefits without the side effects. The Buck Institute has spun off two companies, Delos Pharmaceuticals and Mount Tam Biotechnologies, to do just that. Lisa Ellerby, along with Kennedy and other researchers, is working with Delos to develop rapalogs
that slow Huntington’s disease, which has no cure. Mount Tam is focused on adapting rapalogs for use in auto-immune disorders. The protein is being investigated in labs throughout the Buck. Christopher Benz, MD, a practicing oncologist, is interested in mTOR’s relationship with cancer, particularly breast cancer. Dr. Benz believes selectively inhibiting mTOR could provide better outcomes. Julie Andersen is looking at mTOR’s role in Parkinson’s, showing that rapamycin prevents symptoms in a mouse model of the disease. Pejmun Haghighi is inves tigating mTOR’s association with synaptic function. New drugs that mimic rapamycin’s activity, but not its side effects, are showing great promise, but there may be other ways to get a similar effect. In a groundbreaking paper, the Campisi lab showed that intermittent dosing of rapamycin reduced the inflammation associated with cancer and DNA-damaging chemotherapy and mitigated rapamycin’s side effects. “If you don’t have to take a drug every day, that’s good,” says Campisi. “Side effects usually come after you’ve been taking a drug for a while. Intermittent dosing gives us a new way of looking at how we can deal with age-related maladies.”
Staff scientist Shankar Chinta and Buck faculty Julie Andersen showed that rapamycin prevented Parkinson’s in a mouse model of the disease.
the reservoirs of undifferentiated cells that replace damaged tissue. As we age, there are fewer of these cells, meaning injuries take longer to fix. “We believe that regenerative capacity might be reduced in aging because mTOR activates differentiation,” says Heinrich Jasper. “This would be a big problem because the body loses its pool of healing stem cells.”
AGING GRACEFULLY
Jasper is working on rapalogs that suppress differentiation, maintaining stem cells that can mitigate some of aging’s inevitable wear and tear.
Actress Bette Davis famously said that “Old age is no place for sissies.” In her own way, Davis was acknowledging that an aging body doesn’t heal so well. Part of the reason may be the depletion of somatic stem cells,
These are promising avenues, but there’s still a long way to go. Researchers have yet to identify all the proteins mTOR influences or its full impact on cells. The complexity of these interactions is astounding. “You don’t have a hard time believing that life has been around for three billion years when you look at this pathway,” says Kennedy. “It would take that long for this level of complexity to evolve. We’re pretty confident that turning down mTOR slows down aging; we just don’t fully understand why. But Buck scientists are great detectives—we are on the case.”
Postdoctoral fellow Samantha Haller and Senior Research Associate Rebeccah Riley work in the Jasper lab on projects involving stem cell longevity.
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 17
year in review
Live Longer, Live Well—New Donor Groups Get Behind the Buck’s Mission Double Xs
BELOW Members of the Double Xs group, empowering women and girls in science education, show off their own DNA in Buck’s Patxi’s Pizza Learning Center.
A new Buck women’s group, the Double Xs, is passionate about empowering girls and women in science education. The Double Xs is a 24-member group that started last December and is based on the Impact 100 model, in which donor groups pool their resources to contribute to larger philanthropic goals. Meeting once a quarter at the Institute or in a member’s home, the Double Xs receive updates on the latest research and education programs from Buck scientists as well as tips for eating well and living a healthy lifestyle. The Double Xs collectively fund projects that focus on K–12 STEM education, with each woman contributing $1,000 to the effort. Entrepreneur’s Longevity Club
Some of San Francisco and Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs are passionate about more than just technology and finance. Living well and staying healthy seem part
of their DNA, so it’s no surprise that a new breed of philanthropists is intrigued by the latest developments in the field of aging research—and looking to the Buck for scientific breakthroughs. Recognizing this, the Buck jumpstarted a new initiative this year—the Entrepreneur’s Longevity Club (ELC). With 12 Founder-level members and a membership goal of 100, the Club aims to attract enterprising donors interested in their own personal aging as well as philanthropic and commercial opportunities in science and technology. Each member of the Club pledges $10,000 to support the Buck’s research. Holding their first meeting this past June, the ELC had a reception and dinner in the Buck atrium, which was designed by I.M. Pei, where they enjoyed presentations by Buck faculty Simon Melov, PhD, and Dale Bredesen, MD, on aging research platforms and breakthrough research on Alzheimer’s disease. The Club plans to meet three
ABOVE Entrepreneur’s Longevity Club founders Daniel Putterman (left) and Andrea Chavez (right) with Club President Carlotta Duncan and Buck Professor Simon Melov
times a year in Novato and San Francisco to review the latest research from the Buck’s labs, discuss potential research projects to fund, and explore possible commercial opportunities. Buck’s Impact Circle
With seed funding from the Buck Institute Impact Circle, Buck scientists this past year began tackling one of the unsolved mysteries of Alzheimer’s. Building on the success of the Impact Circle’s inaugural award of $100,000 to Judith Campisi and Julie Andersen for work on “Cancer and the Aging Brain,” Impact Circle members are now funding a collaboration between the Bredesen and Kennedy labs to find out how the genetic variant ApoE4, a susceptibility gene that increases Alzheimer’s risk, triggers this age-associated neurodegenerative disease. Recent Buck research by project lead investigator Rammohan Rao, PhD, discovered a link between
ApoE4 and SirT1, another gene variant involved in normal aging, which suggests that SirT1 activity may be a key link between normal aging and Alzheimer’s. The goal of the newly funded research is twofold: to identify drug candidates that influence the onset or progression of Alzheimer’s by targeting the ApoE4-induced decrease in SirT1 levels and to potentially delay Alzheimer’s onset by rescuing SirT1 levels. Impact Circle members pick which project to fund and receive in-person updates from lead scientists during the year.
LEFT 3D-printed mouse femur bones showing the degeneration in an aged bone (top) compared to a more robust young bone (bottom)
With projects like this, the Buck’s Impact Circle is continuing to engage the Marin community in the work being done at the Buck and bringing Impact Circle members closer to the scientists they support. For more information on the donor groups, please contact Carlotta Duncan, cduncan@buckinstitute.org.
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 19
year in review
Full STEAM Ahead: Unique Partnership Helps Marin and Sonoma Schools Meet New Science Standards
M
arin and Sonoma teachers intent on implementing new standards that call for hands-on, experiential science lessons are getting some help—thanks to the Buck Institute and a Larkspur couple who have made advancing science education a top philanthropic priority. Fifteen teachers and a teaching coach from the Marin County Office of Education spent three days in the Patxi’s Pizza Learning Center this summer doing hands-on science and brainstorming ideas for lesson plans to be rolled out in the fall to approximately 2,500 middle school students in Marin and another 150 high school students in Sonoma County. The pilot project is aptly named STEAM Engine—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics: ENGaging Imagination and Nurturing Excitement.
Sheri and Dayton Coles
The initial project was funded by a generous gift from Dayton and Sheri Coles, who are also members of the Buck Advisory Council and active in our Impact Circle project. The couple has a long-standing interest in medical research (their daughter has Type 1 diabetes) and in science education. “I love attending the meetings and talking shop about the best ways to knit the science into the new standards,” said Sheri, a former teacher. “Supporting science education is very important to us, and when we saw the potential in the Learning Center, we asked ourselves if this could be parlayed into something useful in the county.” Mary Jane Burke, Superintendent of Marin Schools, says the cooperative effort by the schools, the Buck, and the Coles is unprecedented in the county. “This program has the potential to change the trajectory of education in the community,” she says.
20 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Buck postdoctoral fellow Jihyun Kim shows teachers how to play a game that highlights the process of cell differentiation.
“It touches on everything we need for our kids to be successful. It involves creative thinking, collaborative learning, and communication skills.” The Sonoma County high school teachers are participating through a Pathways grant to the Sonoma County Office of Education. Buck researchers led the workshop sessions, which had teachers “building” functioning neurons and playing games highlighting the process of cell differentiation, among other activities. With these activities as inspiration, teachers had the opportunity to collaborate with each other and Buck scientists in developing lessons compatible with the Next Generation Science Standards and tailored for their classrooms. The effort is designed to support the move toward inquiry-based science as opposed to rote memorization, a hallmark of previous science education. STEAM Engine is being rolled out to middle school teachers in Marin, with a focus on sixth grade because that is the first year that students take science as a separate subject. If the pilot is successful, highly engaging lesson plans will be developed for use by science teachers nationwide in preparation for the testing of the Next Generation Science Standards, which have been adopted and are to be implemented between 2016 and 2018.
Energy and Climate Change Visionary Jostein Eikeland Pledges $5 Million to the Buck Norwegian-born entrepreneur Jostein Eikeland likes to be first when it comes to solving big—really big—problems. It’s a characteristic that makes him a perfect partner for the Buck as it tackles what is arguably the biggest challenge in medicine—finding ways to extend healthspan as a means of staving off the impending healthcare crisis stemming from a rapidly aging population.
“ In all my ventures, I have focused on optimizing resources,” says Eikeland. “This is what appeals to me about the Buck Institute—its bold research program is designed to maximize scientific breakthroughs.” —Jostein Eikeland sions and make renewables like solar and wind power more affordable.
The company, which made the Forbes list of top 10 energy Jostein Eikeland stories last year, will combine its battery technology and smart data analytics to become a first-of-its-kind energy service provider. Eikeland says the ability to time-shift energy, storing and delivering electricity when and where it is needed, will help reduce greenhouse emis-
Oleg Tolstoy
Eikeland is Chairman and CEO of Alevo, a privately funded company that aims to redefine energy. 30 percent of generated electricity is currently wasted through inefficiencies in the grid delivery system. Opening a new manufacturing facility in a 1,600-acre former cigarette factory in North Carolina, Alevo has created a revolutionary, patented battery technology that can capture unused electricity.
Eikeland was introduced to the Buck through a colleague who belongs to the Buck Advisory Council. Even though he is a renowned visionary in the computer and manufacturing industries (Eikeland co-founded TeleComputing AS, the world’s first cloud-computing company), his dedication to the Buck allows him to appreciate what many might consider a softer side.
“The Buck’s mission is aimed at giving older adults more years of healthy life. Our seniors provide a wealth of wisdom and resourcefulness,” says Eikeland. “We need them to be healthy and engaged with life.”
scientific advisory board The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) consists of leading scientists in the fields of aging research and age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Members of the SAB provide guidance on the Institute’s scientific and educational programs.
Steven A. Carr, PhD
Jeffrey D. Macklis, MD, DHST
Director of Proteomics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Director, MGH-HMS Center for Nervous System Repair, Harvard University
Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD
Thomas A. Rando, MD, PhD
Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Director, Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging; Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
Stephen L. Hauser, MD
Cynthia J. Kenyon, PhD
Deputy Director, Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford University
Chair, Buck Institute SAB
Vice President, Aging Research, Calico
Chair, Department of Neurology, UCSF
Robert H. Brown Jr., MD, DPhil Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School
James L. Kirkland, MD, PhD Professor of Aging Research, Director of Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 21
2015 board of trustees The Buck Institute receives support and guidance from a volunteer Board of Trustees. These recognized leaders from the business, science, and nonprofit communities set policy, approve financial plans, and help shape the strategic direction of the Institute. Richard “Dick” Bodman Chairman of PurThread Technologies, Inc. Chairman Layalina Productions, Inc. Chairman TDF Ventures Managing General Partner of VMS Group General Manager of Bodman Oil & Gas, LLC
James Edgar Management consultant
Darla Flanagan
Charles La Follette
General Partner of MKD Investments
President of La Follette Capital
Founder, FowlerFlanagan Partners
Edward Lanphier
Former Board Member of Catellus Development Company, Adopt a Family of Marin, the Branson School, and San Francisco Architectural Heritage
M. Arthur Gensler Jr., FAIA
Founding Partner of Edgar, Dunn and Company, an international consulting firm
Founder of Gensler, a global architecture, design, planning, and strategic consulting firm
Founding Partner of Brand Paradigm, LLC, a brand strategy firm
Executive Committee SFMOMA
Roy Eisenhardt Bay Area civic and business leader
Executive Committee California College of the Arts
Jim Gerber
Founder, President, CEO, and member, Board of Directors of Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. Board member of Biotechnology Institute
John W. Larson Retired San Francisco lawyer with over 40 years of practice devoted to high-tech and life science companies Former Chair of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and President of the Branson School Current Chairman of WageWorks, a NYSE company
Co-founder of Western Athletic Clubs, Inc., the owner and operator of luxury athletic and health facilities throughout the West Coast
Fouad Makhzoumi
Currently serves as a Trustee of the California Pacific Medical Center Foundation
Stephen Hauser, MD
Frequent interviewer at City Arts & Lectures
Chair, Buck Institute Scientific Advisory Board
Former member of the International Board of the Council on Foreign Relations: US/Middle East Project
Lecturer in law at the University of California, Berkeley
Brian Kennedy, PhD
Former President of the Oakland A’s baseball team Former Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences
Shahab Fatheazam Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Global Healthcare Group, Lincoln International
Chair, Department of Neurology, UC San Francisco
President and CEO, Buck Institute for Research on Aging Affiliate Faculty, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington Visiting Professor, Aging Research Institute, Guangdong Medical College, P.R. China Adjunct Professor Leonard Davis School of Gerontology University of Southern California
22 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Executive CEO of Future Group, including Future Pipe Industries Group of Dubai, which has over 3,500 employees in 23 countries
Founder of the Makhzoumi Foundation, which helps increase the standard of living for underprivileged Lebanese
E. Lewis Reid
Ralph Snyderman, MD
Former Chair of Buck Board of Trustees
Chancellor Emeritus at Duke University and James B. Duke Professor of Medicine
Former President and CEO of The California Endowment
Larry E. Rosenberger
Former Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at Duke
Former President and CEO and current Research Fellow of Fair Isaac
Vice President for Medical Research and Development at Genentech
Co-author of The Deciding Factor: The Power of Analytics to Make Every Decision a Winner
Member of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Rubar Sandi
Retired business executive
Chair of The Sandi Group, a global company providing turnkey design, real estate development, construction services, security, aviation, logistics, and life support services to government agencies, NGOs and multinational and regional corporations.
Former Chairman of Citibank International, Senior Executive Vice President of Crocker National Bank and Managing Director of Trust Company of the West
Charles M. Stockholm
Served as Chairman of Alexander and Baldwin, Inc. and Matson Navigation, Inc. Presently Director of AsiaVest Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan.
financial summary Operating and Capital Revenue for FY2015 Contributions 17.0% Corporate Research Agreements 5.0% Foundation and Other Grants 8.0%
Interest and Other 8.4%
Buck Trust 18.4% Government Grants 43.2%
Barbara Morrison Vice-Chair of the Buck Advisory Council President of TMC Development, a provider of real estate financing Former mayor of Belvedere, CA Founder and Board President of Working Solutions, a nonprofit that helps microentrepreneurs access capital
Operating Expenses for FY2015 Fundraising 4.7%
General and Administrative 21.9%
Bond Interest and Related Costs 10.0%
Research 63.4%
buck advisory council The Buck Advisory Council (BAC) is a global network of diverse individuals who advocate for the Buck Institute and its mission—to increase healthspan through research and education. The BAC includes leaders in business, finance, bio/pharmaceuticals, law, government, philanthropy, and other fields. Many have served as advisors to governments, universities, public commissions, and nonprofit organizations.
Larry D. Dingus
Darla Flanagan
San Rafael, CA
General Partner, MKD Investments
Kevin Dorwin
San Francisco, CA
Andrey Fomenko
BAC members advise the Buck on strategic priorities, serve as informal ambassadors to raise awareness of our achievements, and set the pace for philanthropy at the Institute.
Managing Principal, Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough LLC San Francisco, CA
Arthur Ablin Professor Emeritus, Clinical Pediatrics, UCSF San Francisco, CA
Hussam Abu Issa Vice-Chairman and COO, Salam International Doha, Qatar
Tarek AbuZayyad Partner, Stanhope Capital LLP London, U.K.
The Honorable George Antoun
Andrea Chavez
General Honorary Consul, Consulate of Kyrgyzstan
San Francisco, CA
Wissam Ariss
Founder and CEO, Eckhart Corporation
Jostein Eikeland
Novato, CA
Concord, NC
Beirut, Lebanon
Louis Ciminelli
David Elias
Mikhail Batin
Chairman and CEO, LPCiminelli
Principal, Alesco Advisors
Founder and Chairman of the Board, Star Goods
Executive Director, Science for Life Extension Foundation Moscow, Russia
Chair-elect, Buck Advisory Council
Managing Director, Greenhill Global, LLC
Founder and President, Akbaraly Foundation
London, U.K.
Honorary General Counsel of Italy in Madagascar
Jeff Bohnson
Groupe SIPROMAD
CEO and Founder, Best In Class Care
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Chicago, IL
HRH Prince Abdulmajeed Al-Saud
Razmig Boladian Founder, Rubicon Point Partners
Buffalo, NY
Dayton Coles Larkspur, CA
Sheri Coles Larkspur, CA
A. Crawford Cooley Novato, CA
Sherri Corker San Rafael, CA
Joan Corrigan San Francisco, CA
Peter G. Ellis
Founder, Kiki Goshay Productions
Principal, Cannon Design
Kentfield, CA
Chicago, IL
James W. Harpel
Jonathan Epstein Partner, Equity Search Partners San Francisco, CA
Phyllis Faber Mill Valley, CA
West Palm Beach, FL
Lou Hawthorne Entrepreneur in Residence, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Shannon Fairbanks
Mill Valley, CA
Founder & Chairman, The Fairbanks Investment Fund
Emiko Higashi
Amman, Jordan
James A. Aleveras Jr.
Chief Investment Officer, Abu Dhabi Investment Council Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Managing Director and Head of the Healthcare Group, Lincoln International LLC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Peter Fedichev
Mehmet Celebi
Senator, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Co-Founder and CSO, Quantum Pharmaceuticals Co-Founder and CEO, Quantum Age
Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC Amman, Jordan
Dato Fawziah Abdul Karim CEO, SSU Management Services
Mazen Darwazeh
Executive Group Vice Chairman and MENA CEO
Social Entrepreneur
Chicago, IL
Buffalo, NY
Madrid, Spain
Senior Partner, Palm Beach Capital
Trustee, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Founder, Marinus Capital Advisors, LLC
Greenbrae, CA
Catherine T. “Kiki” Goshay
Mark Cutis
Najib Canaan
Managing Partner, Dipsea Capital LLC
Cairo, Egypt
Maher Kaddoura
Greenbrae, CA
Founding Partner, Investments, Construction, Arti Bir Group
Chairman, Managing Director, ARTOC Group for Investment and Development
Chairman, Buck Advisory Council
Kentfield, CA
Christopher Antonio
Shafik Gabr
Vancouver, B.C.
Chairman and CEO, US Equity Holdings
Founder, Aphelion Venture Group
Ross, CA
San Anselmo, CA
San Francisco, CA
Patricia L. Cahill
Beth Allen
Founder and CEO, Patxi’s Pizza
Shahab Fatheazam
Chester P. Aldridge
Daniel E. Cantara
Pittsford, NY
William Freeman
Founder, Tomon Partners, LLC
Christopher Creber
Darien, CT
Chairman and CEO, Alevo
St. Petersburg, Russia
Washington, D.C.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA
Deepak Chopra
Peter Bennett
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Vice President, Wealth Management Consultant, The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank
New Sheileh, Lebanon
Cinzia Catalfamo Akbaraly
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Founder, Cloud Engines, Inc.
Dorothea Dutton
Entrepreneur, Real Estate Investor, IVAO Founder
Moscow, Russia
Lady Jamileh Kharrazi Chairman, Jamileh Kharrazi Charitable Foundation London, U.K.
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 23
buck advisory council Ronald G. Landes
Peter J. Marguglio
President, SOS Solving Organ Shortage
Lake Tahoe, CA
Austin, TX
Joseph Maroun Sr.
Edward Lanphier
Chairman of the Board, Harissa LLC and Azour LLC
Trustee, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Menlo Park, CA
Founder, President, CEO, and Member, Board of Directors, Sangamo BioSciences, Inc.
Susan E. Mayer
Board Member, Biotechnology Institute Richmond, CA
Jessica Lewin CEO, S.R. Travel San Francisco, CA
Professor, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago Chicago, IL
Maura B. Morey Tiburon, CA
Barbara Morrison Robert J. Palay
Kevin Perrott
Douglas Rosenberg
Cellular Dynamics International
Director, SENS Research Foundation
Kentfield, CA
Madison, WI
Mountain View, CA
Larry E. Rosenberger
Veena Panjabi
Dan Perry
Vice President and Co-Owner, World Industries
Founder, Alliance for Aging Research
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Miami, FL
Washington, D.C.
Former President and CEO and current Research Fellow, Fair Isaac
Mokena, IL
Noel Thomas Patton
Arnold Podgorsky
San Quentin, CA
Founder, T.A. Sciences
Attorney, Podgorsky Law
Bora Ozturk
New York, NY
Washington, D.C.
David A. Lowe
Vice Chair, Buck Advisory Council
President and CEO, NeuroAssets
Trustee, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Geneva, Switzerland
President, TMC Development
William N. Macartney III Clinton, NY and Naples, FL
Fouad Makhzoumi Trustee, Buck Institute for Research on Aging Executive Chairman and CEO, Future Pipe Industries Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cinzia Catalfamo Akbaraly will become the new chair of the BAC in January 2016. A native of Milan, Mrs. Akbaraly is a longtime resident of Madagascar. She is founder and president of the Akbaraly Foundation, which focuses on improving the health of women and children in her adopted country.
San Francisco, CA
Cherilyn Murer President and CEO, Murer Consultants, Inc.
Founder and General Partner, March Capital Management
Mary Poland
San Francisco, CA
Ross, CA
Daniel Putterman Founder, Cloud Engines, Inc.
THE BUCK ADVISORY COUNCIL: FIVE YEARS IN AND GROWING STRONGER Members of the Buck Advisory Council (BAC)—now numbering 96— continue to set the pace as global ambassadors for the Institute’s mission to extend healthspan. In addition to promoting the Buck among their various networks, these business and civic leaders are also sponsoring research in specific labs and taking an active role in supporting the Buck’s marketing efforts. With five successful spring meetings at the Buck and fall meetings in locations as far-flung as Lisbon, Oman, and Singapore, BAC members stay abreast of the latest findings in age research and continue to build their own professional and philanthropic connections. With members hailing from every corner of the world, the BAC welcomed its first member from Japan this year. Yuzo Toda, Director of Fujifilm Holdings Corporation and head of its Life Science Products Division, is an engineer by training who helped trigger the launch of Fujifilm’s venture into healthcare.
24 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
San Francisco, CA
Bruce Raabe Founder and President, Relevant Wealth Advisors Mill Valley, CA
Rita Rakus Cosmetic Medicine London, U.K.
E. Lewis Reid Trustee, Buck Institute for Research on Aging Sebastopol, CA
Chris Reiter Senior Vice President, Partner, Woodruff-Sawyer Novato, CA
Ayman Sabi Venture Partner, Aisling Capital New York, NY
Kaveh Safavi Managing Director, Global Health Care, Accenture Chicago, IL
Marika Sakellariou Luxury Home Specialist Corte Madera, CA
Rubar S. Sandi Trustee, Buck Institute for Research on Aging Chairman, CEO, TSG Global Holdings Washington, D.C.
Patrick Sherwood Tiburon, CA
Rashid M. Skaf President and CEO, AMX Corporation Richardson, TX
cumulative donors and sponsors Richard A. Stone Founder and Chairman, Private Ocean San Rafael, CA
Linda K. Trocki Lake Tahoe, CA
Brooke N. Wade President, Wade Capital Corporation Vancouver, Canada
M
any extraordinary individuals and institutions have been inspired by the Buck’s interdisciplinary research on aging to make financial contributions to ensure that the Institute thrives and the research continues. Among this group are some who have given generously over many years to a variety of programs and initiatives— highlighting their commitment to the growth and stability of the organization while demonstrating their belief in the Buck’s mission, its exceptional scientists, and the remarkable research undertaken here. We are extremely proud and fortunate to have been the recipient of such steadfast support.
$10,000,000 and above
Catherine H. Munson
Elizabeth M. Stevens
Mary and Bill R. Poland
U.S. Department of Energy
Barbara C. and Richard M. Rosenberg
The Weldon Foundation, Inc.
Rosenberger Family Fund
Wells Fargo
Neill Walsdorf Sr.
The Buck Trust
CEO, Mission Pharmacal Company
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
San Antonio, TX
National Institutes of Health
Neill Walsdorf Jr.
$100,000–$499,999
$50,000–$99,999
$5,000,000–$9,999,999
Suhir and Hussam Abu Issa
Deborah and Arthur Ablin Family Fund
CHDI Foundation
Cinzia and Ylias Akbaraly
American-Italian Cancer Foundation
The Eikeland Foundation
Myfanwy Ozeroff and James A. Aleveras Jr.
Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade
American Parkinson Disease Association
Marjorie E. Belknap
Zarife and George Antoun
Karna and Richard S. Bodman
President, Mission Pharmacal Company San Antonio, TX
Marylin P. Wanlass Santa Rosa, CA
The Ellison Medical Foundation Drue and Arthur Gensler Ellen and Douglas Rosenberg
BioMarin Pharmaceuticals
Aida and Dale E. Bredesen
Kelli and G. Steven Burrill
Judy C. Webb
$2,500,000–$4,999,999
Belvedere, CA
The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Corinne Hellier Buck 1993 Trust
California Breast Cancer Research Program
Fred Drexler
Patricia L. and John Cahill
Lynn M. and Najib S. Canaan
Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
Mark N. Cutis
Ann L. and Louis P. Ciminelli
Larry L. Hillblom Foundation
Danish Cancer Foundation
Winifred Johnson Clive Foundation
Marylin P. Wanlass
Larry Dingus
Sheri and Dayton Coles
Mary C. Sauer and Robert J. Doris
Joey and Warren C. Conklin
$1,000,000–$2,499,999
Judy and James M. Edgar
Joan Walkup Corrigan
Anonymous
Lorraine Gervais-Faber and Charles D. Faber
Rula and Mazen Darwazeh
Phyllis M. Faber
Darla and Patrick Flanagan
Norman R. Weldon Amelia Island, FL and Evergreen, CO
Thomas D. Weldon Chairman, Managing Director, Accuitive Medical Ventures Amelia Island, FL
American Federation for Aging Research John W. Bissinger, Jr. Trust
E. Packer Wilbur
Joseph Drown Foundation
Chairman, Southport Properties
W.M. Keck Foundation
Southport, CT
Rowe Family Foundation
Donald F. “Fritz” Zimmer Jr. Partner, King & Spalding, Tort and Environmental Litigation Group San Francisco, CA
Mericos Foundation U.S. Department of Defense Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation
$500,000–$999,999 Anonymous Alzheimer’s Association Barbara and Gerson Bakar Jess and A. Crawford Cooley Kathryn and William T. Freeman Harold J. and Reta Haynes Family Foundation Michaela and Jay Hoag Institute for the Study of Aging
The Brookdale Foundation
Foundation for Retinal Research
Sandra D. Donnell
Judy and James Harpel
John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Linnea and Jim Gerber
The Hereditary Disease Foundation
Margaret E. Haas Fund
William G. Irwin Charity Foundation
Huntington’s Disease Society of America
JEC Foundation
Dato Fawziah Abdul Karim
Nichola Jo and Craig Johnson
Brenda and Brian Kennedy
La Follette Family Fund
Lady Jamileh Kharrazi
Cameron and Edward Lanphier
Fay Hartog-Levin and Daniel E. Levin
Pamela and John Larson
Mary McEachron
Elisabeth R. Levy
Rita and Herbert Myers
Carolyn L. and Larry H. Lewis
Susan Ohrenschall
Lucinda Watson
PEW Latin American Fellows Program
May and Fouad Makhzoumi
Herbert Simon Family Foundation
Michael J. Fox Foundation
Simon-Strauss Foundation
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Rashid Skaf
National Parkinson Foundation
Judy C. Webb
Progeria Research Foundation
Wings of Freedom Foundation
Mary and Lew Reid
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 25
honor roll of donors The following donors’ gifts were gratefully received between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. $1,000,000 and above
$10,000–$24,999
Drue and Arthur Gensler
Suhir and Hussam Abu Issa
The Eikeland Foundation
Cinzia and Ylias Akbaraly Elizabeth Allen
$500,000–$999,999 John W. Bissinger, Jr. Trust
HRH Abdulmajeed Al-Saud Christopher Antonio Taelor and Peter Bennett
Kirsten and Karl Pfleger
Karen and Brian Van Weele
Carlotta Duncan
Bruce Raabe
Ron Viner
Jane and David Duncan
Marguerita Rakus
Susan and Fritz Zimmer
CaterMarin
Chris Reiter
$2,500–$4,999
William T. and Jessie B. Robinson
Anonymous
Ayman Sabi
$100,000–$499,999
Ani Vartanian and Razmig Boladian
Barbara and Gerson Bakar
Lynn M and Najib S. Canaan
Lorraine Gervais-Faber and Charles D. Faber
Andrea Chavez and Daniel Putterman
Carolyn L. and Larry H. Lewis
R. Martin Chavez
Elizabeth M. Stevens
Rosenberger Family Fund
Deepak Chopra and Deep Mala
Maryanna and Charles Stockholm
Amy and Pankaj Chowdhry
Richard and Janis Stone
Ann L. and Louis P. Ciminelli
Diane and Paul Temple
Jess and A. Crawford Cooley
Tracy and Brooke Wade
Sherri Corker
Beverly and Neill Walsdorf Sr.
Joan Walkup Corrigan
Neill B. Walsdorf Jr.
Christopher Creber
Norman R. Weldon
Rula and Mazen Darwazeh
Thomas D. Weldon
Lucinda Watson
$50,000–$99,999 Karna and Richard S. Bodman Patricia and John Cahill Sheri and Dayton Coles Mark N. Cutis Larry Dingus Kathryn and William T. Freeman Harold J. and Reta Haynes Family Foundation Pamela and John Larson May and Fouad Makhzoumi Marylin P. Wanlass
Kaveh T. Safavi Marika Sakellariou Jill and Patrick Sherwood Rashid Skaf
Kevin Dorwin Judy and James M. Edgar
$5,000–$9,999
Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt
Anonymous
Barbara and David Elias Paula Garrett-Ellis and Peter G. Ellis Shannon Fairbanks Peter Fedichev
Deborah and Arthur Ablin Family Fund Marjorie E. Belknap Carole Bennett and Norman Ciampi
$25,000–$49,999
The Florence S. Mahoney Foundation
Peter S. Bing
Zarife and George Antoun
Andrey Fomenko
Sydne K. and Allan Bortel
Linnea and Jim Gerber
DeMund Family Foundation
Darla and Patrick Flanagan
Kiki Goshay
Griswold Family Fund
Emiko Higashi
Judy and James Harpel
Maryellie and Rupert Johnson
Dato Fawziah Abdul Karim
Maher Hikmat Mahmoud Kaddoura
Rosanne and Raja Kamal
Bill Kaiser
Ronald G. Landes
Cameron and Edward Lanphier
Aida and Dale E. Bredesen Dorothea M. Dutton Anisya and Lynn Fritz Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Elizabeth W. King
Elisabeth R. Levy
Brenda and Brian Kennedy
Myfanwy Ozeroff and James A. Aleveras Jr.
Lady Jamileh Kharrazi
Christy Larsen and Arnie Podgorsky
Mary and Bill Poland
Sheila and Jürgen Kurz
Jane Miller
La Follette Family Fund
John and Curtis McDowell
Jessica Lewin
Miller Family Fund
David A. Lowe
Nasaw Family Foundation
Linda and William N. Macartney
Yola and Bora Ozturk
Mary McEachron
Carol and Daniel Perry
Barbara C. and Richard M. Rosenberg Wells Fargo Foundation Winifred Johnson Clive Foundation
Maura B. Morey Cherilyn and Michael Murer Robert J. Palay Noel Thomas Patton
26 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Philip Economon
Mary and Lew Reid
Tarek AbuZayyad BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. Bulent Eczacibasi Fadi Ghandour The Honorable Saeed Ahmed Ghobash Gary Giacomini Elinor A. and James E. Lacy Leon J. and Helen C. Libeu Susan Ohrenschall Veena Panjabi Price Family Foundation Joan Ring
Peter Emerson Margot Fraser Fund Friedman’s Home Improvement Ahtossa and Rick Fullerton The Geistlinger Family Trust Anthony Ghorayeb Green Family Fund Frank and Barbro Greene Charitable Fund Clifford Gundle Mohammad M. Hammami Hilary and Chris Hansen Fay Hartog-Levin and Daniel E. Levin Evelyn Haupt
Alvaro Saieh
Wanda R. Headrick and Hans Adler
Ramzi Sanbar
IBM Corporation
Emine and Rubar Sandi
Maha Kaddoura
Jackson Scott
Janet LaBarre
Margaret C. and Lloyd H. Smith
Ragnhild and Knut Larssen
Tom Stone Carine Zeeni and Joseph Antoun
$1,000–$2,499 H.E. Mohammed Abalkhail Charlene Albanese Meshal Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah The Allstate Foundation Bank of Marin Constance P. and Christopher C. Benz Brennie and Lawrence Brackett Jean and Stuart Brown Andrea Bruno and Jonathan A. Epstein Calico Life Sciences, LLC Ken Coit Scott B. and Annie P. Appleby Charitable Trust Colonel William Cope
Patricia and Lyle Lewis Trudie London Debra Maddox John R. Manis Isabel McComish Candiece and John Milford Ralph O’Rear Judy M. O’Shea Barbara and Louis Perlmutter Lois Prentice Louise Rapoport Raptor Pharmaceuticals Inc Barbara and Eric Roberts Nancy Marsh Sangster-De Haan and Robert De Haan David Slate Soroptimists International of Novato Maria and Jon Stark Dawna and J. Dietrich Stroeh Julia Sze Fund Tony Tamer
County of Sonoma
Britt and Tom Thorner Marjorie and Barry Traub
Linda Sweeney and Bryan Reiff
Glorybell and Juan Jose Daboub
Debi Weber
Renee and Ralph Snyderman
Jeri Dexter
Elisha P. Wilbur
Suzanne L Dibble and Jeanne F. DeJoseph
Roy Wonder
Elke and Doug Paul
Dellie and Doug Woodring
honor roll of donors $500–$999 Anonymous Julie Abrams Kelley Baer and Louis R. Pozzo Selim Bassoul Judith Benardete Sunny Blende and Randy Hixon
John G. Mann
Barbara and Larry Babow
Richard E. Levy
Sally and Anthony Elshout
Kirsten Maynard
Betsy Babson and Massoud Dehdashti
Alycia and Elvin Case
James G. Emerson
Marabeth Bacon
Birgit Chase
Jean and Herbert Epstein
Shahla Chehrazi
Lois B. Epstein
Elaine and Ken Chew
Sandra P. and Edwin M. Epstein
Lucinda Merrill Laurean S. Nardone Michelle S. Nirenstein Mandy and Sam Parke Steven Perlmutter Virginia and Don Pierce
Shari and Jeff Bohnson
Keith Pitts
Frances and Marek J. Bozdech
Paul Reimer
Diane and Davis Brown
Robert A. Roth
California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
Andrea Schultz
Patricia and Melford Chudacoff
Colleen and John Silcox
Wayne Cooper Stone Coxhead
Nancy and Robert Sellers Marc Silver Geraldine Messina Smith
Diane Crouse
Sonoma County Office of Education
The Curry Gift Fund
Michael Sosin
Marilyn and Terry Diamond
Charles Stedwell
S. Malvern Dorinson
Frederick R. Stoddard
Catherine Doyle
Pauline L. and John G. Stuber
Sharon Early
Margaret Tevis
Odie Fakhouri
Jay F. Theise
Neghmeh and Shahab Fatheazam
Michael A. Thompson
Virginia Baden Phyllis and Christian Baldenhofer Michael Barber and Marina Zuk Judith and Ron Barr William C. Bartholomay Lee Battat Patricia and Donn Bearden Leslie and Jeff Belingheri Peggy and John Bell Marcus Benedetti Martin Benson Brenda Bercun Joan R. Bergsund Azita Berloui Ronald Berman David Bernard Diane Bernbaum Marilyn Bernstein Mary Bersot Josephine and George Blagden
Sara Ferrandini
Cristina and Terrence Wadsworth
Paul Friedmann
Margaret and William Wallace
Alison Fuller
Evelyn Warren
Elizabeth and Hugh Fullerton
Susan Wheeler
Anita Gajewski
James D. White
Nancy G. Garrison
Kurt Wiedenhaupt
Selim J. Ghorayeb
Susan and Al Wilcox
Stanley Bornstein
Patricia Gilbert and Jeremy Norman
Shannon Wilson and Janine Guillot
Jim Botko Nancy and N. Edward Boyce
Ava and Sam Guerrera
Cynthia Wuthmann
Cheryl Boys
Anthia L. and Charles E. Halfmann Gay D. and Wyman C. Harris Faisal and Bana Hassan Christine and John Incledon Gabriella and Glen Isaacson Barbel and Gordan Jacobs Marsha and Don Jacobs Kathy Johnson Shirley Johnson Anna Kauffman Kathleen S. King Nikki and Don King Nancy and Dick Kuhn LabCures, LLC
Kerry and Clark Blasdell Rosalind and David S. Bloom Clare Bock Marian and Giulio Boeri John R. Bogdan Ann Bonfigli
Robert A. Braghetta
$1–$499 Anonymous Christine Abele John Adams Meghan Adelman Kathleen and Peter Allan Gordon W. Anderson Mary E. Anderson Patricia Anderson Adrianne and Robert Andrews Susan Anello Joyce D. Applen David Arfin
Sharon L. and Kenneth M. Levien
Linda Armstrong
Nancy Long
Elizabeth and James Austin
Alberto Lopez
Catherine Babcock
Ruth and Anthony Arnold
Peter Brajkovich Ute and John Brandon Judith Brass Marvin Breen Leanna Breese Howard A. Bronstein
Carolyn S. Ciampi City of Petaluma Kathleen Clark Ann and Robert Clausen Maria Clothier Daniel Cohen Jan Collier Denise Colwell Ed Conley Lisa A. Connor Ellie Corley Sally F. Cottingham Janice and Richard Cotton Judith D. and Robert K. Creasy Cypress String Quartet Shirley and Donald Dal Porto Don D’Ambrogia Paul Davidson Ursula Davidson Susan and Gregory Davis Shahla Davoudi Ann and Ronald De Vogel Esther R. Delaplaine Thomas R. Delebo James DePeyster Dolores Dietz Carole Dillon-Knutson Annette M. Disano Dittler Real Estate Sidney J. Dockser Marjorie and Jeron Donalds Adelaide Donnelley Mary and Kevin Dowling Roberta and Alan Dunham Roselee Dunlavy Gloria Dunn-Violin Dimitri Dutoff
Meg Brook
Dianne M. Easton
Geraldine and Martin Brownstein
Dorothy B. Eastwood Ann Eckelhoff
Wendy Buchen
Harriett M. Eckstein
Sally Buehler
Talmage Edman
Ron Bushman
Carolyn Eitel
Virginia S. Button
Dimitri and Zsuzsanna Elgin
Susan L. Campbell
Nancy Ellenbogen and Joel Lurie
Vicki and Glenn Campbell Judith Campisi Joan Capurro Rosario Carr-Casanova and
Audrey and Kenneth Ellingsen Marcia and Steve Ellis Helen Elmer
John Erdmann Catherine Erny Kathleen and Dick Eschleman Jean Espey Jeffery Etemad Lynn Eubanks Anna Everest and Jim Kennedy Ann and Michael Faber Mary S. Falk Victoria Fan Vitaliy Fedorchuk Elizabeth and Jim Ferguson Carla Filgas Judi and Fredric Finkelstein Paul S. Finkle Cheryl Finley-Neal and Barry Neal Poppy H. Finston Noel Fishman Arlis Fisk Brenda Folk Barbara J. Fopp Graham Forder Marianne M. Francke Louisa and David Fraser Wendell Freeman Madelon and Roger R. Fross David M. Fuelling Peggy and Bob Fujimoto Richard Gale Betty E. Gandel Elizabeth and David Ganz Rita Gatlin Jane Gianino and Harold Baum Jack Gibson Goddard-Mele Living Trust Nancy Godfrey Diana Goebel Phil Goebel Burton Goldberg Helen Goldenberg Stephen Goldenberg Laurie Goldman Rita Golub Joanne Gordon Franklin M. Gould Linda H. Graber
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 27
honor roll of donors Carolyn Gracie and James Adams
Diane D. Jorgensen
Geraldine Miller
Vida Ray and Ted Freeman
Donna and David Spilman
Elizabeth and Joseph Greenberg
Tunde Juhasz
Janet Miller
Natalia Raysberg
Gary R. Spratling
Jeanette Kadesh
Susan F. Mines
Virginia and Fred Reich
Lana Sremba
Kapa Biosystems
Beverly and Carl Mitchell
Phyllis and Steven Reinstein
David R. Stern
Joseph Karp
Gail Mitchell and Kenn Kovitz
Charles Rettke
Eric Stone
Scott Kerr
Lisa Monetta
Richard Reubin
Marion and William Kleinecke
Mary Moore
Sucherman Consulting Group, Inc.
Linda D. Knauer
Karen and William Morgenstern
Maureen Reyes and Jonathan Straw
Teresa Rae Greenlee Nancy and Steve Greenwood Shirley and Nelson Gremmels Jane M. Grenawalt Meredith Griffin Linda Grindel James H. Grossman Yvonne Gwinnell Dennis Hagerty Kevin Hagerty Jane Hall Renee Hamilton Victoria and William Hamilton Glenne Harding Kimberley Harmon Margaret Harrington Cindy Harris Jenifer Harris
Howard Kornfeld Rochelle Korson Verna and Jack Krout Almon E. Larsh Jr. Carolyn Larson K.C. and Steve Lauck Carol Lawson Judy and David Layne Sharon Leach Jan and Matt Lennon Michael Leslie Carol Levin Lorraine and Robert Levin Jay Levy Beverly Z. and Myron J. Levy
Anita and William Dennis Hassler
Judith A. and Robert Lewis
Jo and Dean Heffelfinger
Life Technologies/ Thermo Fisher Scientific
Kay and Roger Heigel Janet Heise Matthew Heller Rebecca and Robert Henn Janet L. and L. Michael Heon Patricia Hess Ann L. Heurlin Jorgen Hildebrandt Steven H. Hirth Mary M. Hofmann
Nancy Lewis
Sally K. Lindsey Carol Ling Louise Lipsey Linda Liscom Mary Dell Lucas Karen Luey Barbara and Francis Lundy Jeanne E. and Patrick Macleamy
Lennart Suther
Kathleen Mozena
Richard and Judith Robinson
Karen T. Sweere
Kari E. and Hans J. Mueller
Kathlyn and Rich Ronsheimer
Marilyn and Irving Tallman
Hilda Namm
Jay Rosenberger
Beverly and Jerry Tanner
Gwen and Jim Neary
Aaron Rosenzweig
Eric Tepper
Cynthia and Manny Nestle
Charles Roth
Blair G. and H. Gene Thornton
Elke Neumann Dwelly and Vernon I. Dwelly
Susan Rouder
John Thornton
Helen F. Neville
Marcia Rubin
Marsha G. Torkelson
Fred Rudow
Donald N. Tornberg
Lois Model Rukeyser
Ewa Uding
Barbara Russell
John VanSpeybroeck
Marianne and Burton Rutkin
Suzette Veluz
Dixie J. Ruud
Lorraine Voskanian
Kathleen A. Ryan
Kay Wadleigh
Iris Saligman
George Wagner
Gabrielle Salomon
Susan Wallace
King and Bruce Sams
Donna J. and Richard Wallrich
San Rafael Goldenaires
David Weibel
S. C. Sbrazza
Mary Jo Westwater
Denise Scaglione
Alexis White
David Scharf
Ellen White and Ronald Gaines
Michael Nistler Ruth Noah Giusto and Albert S. Giusto Melodee Nobmann Nvigen, Inc. Betty Obata Glorraine Obertello Louis D. O’Brien Ann W. Ocheltree Sarah Oliver Mary S. O’Neal Donna and Tom Oshel Barbara Z. Otto Seymour Packman Steve Page Shahrzad Pahlavan Kathleen and Alan Pallie Norman H. Palter Angelo Pastorino
Clara MacNamee
Lynn and Richard A. Payne
Burdette and Michael Maddalena
Teri Pearson Gail and David M. Perin
Peter Madill
Perkin Elmer
Tom Madsen
Darlys and Thomas Perry
Ruth Malkin
Donna and Jerry Peters
Delphine and Dennis Mangan Diana and Kevin Mann
Madalienne Peters and Bix Newhard Garlyn Peterson
Helene and Stephen N. Jaffe
Marin County AssessorRecorder-Clerk’s Office
Ken Petron
Lillian B. Jarvis
Michelle Martino
Margit and James Pettipas
Abby Johnson
Robert Mathison
Luana Pinasco
Carol Johnson
Rob Matthew
Lillian Podgorsky
Carroll Johnson
Robert Mazur
Beverly and Alfred Proud
Donald Johnson
Kilmer S. McCully
Nancy Ragano
Janis Johnson
Gayle J. McDonald
Jennifer Raiser
Lucille Johnson
James McPherson
Janet and Rudy C. Ramirez
Sarah Johnson
Gail Merriam
David Rausch
Kay and David Jones
Ron Meserve
Maryanne and Louis Ravano
Kim L. Hoppin Marc Horowitz Jean Howard Judy Hunt Vanessa Hurley Jan Hutchinson Lander R. and William Hynes Gary Jacobson
28 Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report
Linda Suhr
Patricia Ris
Barbara and Jules Schechner Karen Scheder John Scheels Richard Scherr Virginia and William Schultz Helen Schwartz Julie A. Schwering Barbara Schwindt Michele E. Scott Sally B. Searle Vickie L. Settle Brenda Shank Ingrid Sheets Jeffrey Sheff Gail Shields Alice and Michael Shiffman Mary Shull Karen Simmons Sybil Skinner Don and Jean Smith Jean Snyder Sheryl Soffer Dylis and Peter Sommer Helmut Sommer Cheryl Sorokin
Kay C. and Rick White Wells Whitney Widowed Persons Association of California Chapter #11 Sara Wilde Nora Wilkins Cathy Williamson Marcia Williamson Nancy and Martin Willick Tim Willis Peggy and Charles Wilson Susan and Ian R. Wilson Beverly Windle Suchitra Wong Linda Zacharin Gerry Zalkovsky Jeannette Ziegler Mercedes and Werner Zimmermann
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As of June 30, 2015
ADMINISTRATION
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D avi d G r e e n b e rg ,
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Professor PhD Associate Professor
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Professor PhD
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Professor
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The John W. “Jack” Bissinger Jr. Garden Court was dedicated on April 30, 2015, to honor the memory of the retired Marin architect who was a generous and longtime supporter of the Buck Institute.
Members of the Epstein family gathered on March 18, 2015, for the dedication of the Drs. Charles and Lois Epstein Conference Room. Charles Epstein, MD, served as Chair of both the Buck Scientific Advisory Board and the Buck Board of Trustees. The dedication recognized a generous bequest from Lois Epstein to support our educational programs.
Buck Institute 2015 Annual Report 29
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