In recognition of DNDi's growing portfolio of projects, partners, and donors based in North America, DNDi has established a North American Regional Support Office to strengthen and expand scientific, advocacy, and fundraising efforts in the region.
DNDi is already very active in North America, with key partners engaged in a variety of scientific projects, several grants awarded by major U.S. public and private institutions, and a prestigious Board of Directors appointed to guide the organisation's efforts in the region.
Chairing DNDi's North American Board is Bennett M. Shapiro, M.D., an accomplished scientist and executive whose career encompasses academia, the public health sector, the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology entrepreneurship. Shapiro, who served on DNDi's Scientific Advisory Committee since its inception in 2003, recently presented on behalf of DNDi at Harvard University's Ash Institute Frontiers of Innovation Conference.
"In its short existence, DNDi has already shown remarkable capabilities in executing drug discovery and development programmes , as exemplified by the FACT formulations for malaria which were registered in record time," commented Shapiro. "The opportunity to relieve the suffering of neglected patient populations is immense, and I am delighted to be part of this effort."
Rounding out the board with a deep knowledge of the global health and neglected disease landscape are: Nicolas de Torrenté, Ph.D., executive director of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières; Hellen Gelband (Secretary), Senior Policy Researcher, Resources for the Future; Bruce Mahin (Treasurer), Finance Advisor, Treasurer DNDi; James Orbinski, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Political Science at University of Toronto and former International Council President of Médecins Sans Frontières; Bernard Pécoul, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Director, DNDi; and Joelle Tanguy, Senior Vice President, Global Programmes and Partnerships, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
DNDi's scientific partners in North America are already working on projects, from discovery to clinical trials, to develop new treatments for DNDi's target diseases. For example, an innovative partnership between Pace University and biotech firm Scynexis aims to discover new drugs to treat sleeping sickness. Other partnerships leverage experts and resources from pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic institutions, including Anacor; the University of North Carolina; Sandler Center for Basic Research in Parasitic Diseases University of California, San Francisco; McGill University in Montreal; and Tulane University in New Orleans.
Located within The New York Academy of Sciences' (NYAS) headquarters on the 40th floor of the newly-built 7 World Trade Center, New York City's first certified "green" office tower, DNDi has easy access to NYAS' state-of-the-art conference centre and the potential to connect with NYAS' 26,000-strong scientific community.
DNDi North America hosted the first DNDi Stakeholder Meeting on June 26th, followed by an evening symposium and reception to officially launch DNDi's North American presence. Visit www.dndina.org for more information about these events and other North American news.