1. health and fitness
2. disease

spring
2015
DISCOVER
CORIELL
IN THIS ISSUE
Cover Story: Coriell Receives Biobank Grant
Stem Cell Milestone Pg 2
Conference Spotlight Pg 3
Thanking Our Supporters Pg 4
Science Fair Success Pg 6
Importance of IT Pg 7
PARTNERS IN RESEARCH
CORIELL WINS $14M GRANT FROM NIH
While rapid technology innovations continue
to drive interest and instigate exploration
into the causes and cures of serious human
disease, the Coriell Institute remains anchored
as one of the key fixtures enabling research
at the international level.
abnormalities and healthy individuals across
several distinct human populations. The
collection also features nearly 40 induced
pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines, a resource
informing disease progression and treatment
studies, in addition to drug discovery trials.
And, to that end, Coriell further reinforced
its position as the world’s most diverse biobank
in March by winning an open competition
and securing a $14 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“The breadth of the Repository is vast,
representing nearly 900 unique human
diseases,” says Dr. Michael Christman,
president and CEO of Coriell. “Researchers
seeking well-characterized biospecimen to
power disease studies and clinical trials
know Coriell is an established leader in
the biobanking field with an unflinching
standard for quality and service excellence.
The five-year award supports the National
Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Human Genetic Cell Repository at Coriell,
a dynamic collection of more than 11,300
cell lines and 5,700 DNA samples representing
a variety of disease states, chromosomal
“Our decades of experience and learned
insights, strong biobanking infrastructure
and team of experts make us the ideal facility
to handle such a powerful scientific resource.”
Established at Coriell by the NIGMS in
1972 – making it one of the longest-standing
NIH-backed contracts in the country – the
Repository has been referenced by nearly
6,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Within the last year alone, the Repository
proved immensely significant in the fight
against human disease, as Coriell distributed
tens of thousands of DNA samples and cell
lines to scientists, including teams at the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and
Harvard Medical School examining a possible
association between the Ebola virus disease
and the Niemann-Pick Type C disorder.
As one of the only biorepositories housing
Continued on next page
403 HADDON AVENUE, CAMDEN, NJ 08103 | (856) 966-7377 | CORIELL.ORG
Niemann-Pick samples – an extremely rare genetic disease typically manifested
in children under the age of 10 – Coriell was uniquely positioned to facilitate
this important research.
“Part of what distinguishes this collection as such an invaluable asset is that
we’re always actively engaged in the process of recruiting new human genetic
disease samples,” says Coriell’s Dr. Nahid Turan, principal investigator of the
NIGMS repository. “It’s our way of staying ahead of the human disease curve.”
Samples from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Human Genetic
Cell Repository – as well as a variety of Coriell’s research services – are available
online through the Institute’s revamped catalog. For more information, visit
catalog.coriell.org.
STEM CELL TECHNOLOGY
STEM CELL PROGRAM REACHES
IMPORTANT MILESTONE
“For most businesses, it’s typical to invest resources and time developing
the type of organizational architecture that enables separation,” says
Andrew MacKnight, Coriell’s Chief Strategy Officer.
“You persist and struggle to elevate your company above the competition
in order to win an audience; capture a market; deliver an exceptional
product.
“But in so many ways, Coriell is not like a typical organization,” says
MacKnight. “Instead of being qualified and limited as the best provider
of a particular service, or known as the best in the state or country,
we’re often regarded as the best in the world at what we do.”
“Laboratories in countries around the world rely on iPS cells from
Coriell,” says Dr. Shilpa Gandre-Babbe, group leader of Coriell’s Stem
Cell Biobank. “We’ve worked very hard to reach and then exceed the
100 cell line threshold and it’s rewarding to know we’re able to make
such an impact.”
MacKnight is recently returned from a trip to Coriell California, the
West Coast Coriell location launched last year to facilitate a $10M
research grant awarded by the California Institute for Regenerative
Medicine (CIRM). The award aims to establish 9,000 high-grade
induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines and has been steadily
accepting samples from a host of academic centers, including Stanford
University and UCLA.
The iPS cell lines made available by Coriell are spread across two major
biorepositories: the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke Human Genetics DNA and Cell Line Repository and the Human
Genetic Cell Repository, sponsored by the National Institute of General
Medical Sciences. The cell lines represent a range of diseases, including
Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and other heritable disorders.
CIRM aligned with Coriell in large part due to the Institute’s capability
and expertise as the primary international source for human iPS cell
lines. Coriell currently features 109 such lines and continues to pace
the field and stimulate critical research.
2
DISCOVER CORIELL
“iPS cell exploration is fast-tracked as an area of exciting possibility,
and the team at Coriell remains focused on producing outstandingquality cells for scientists,” says Dr. Michael Christman.
COMMUNITY
SENATOR CORY BOOKER VISITS CORIELL
Cory Booker (D), the United States Senator from New Jersey, visited
Coriell Institute in late March.
Senator Booker met with Coriell’s Dr. Michael Christman before touring
the Institute and speaking with scientists and staff in the molecular
biology and stem cell laboratories, in addition to the Genome Center
and biobanking facility.
Afterward, Senator Booker held a free-ranging town hall discussion
and expressed how impressed he was to learn more about the worldclass research being conducted in the heart of South Jersey.
“I’m really blown away from what I just saw and learned about what you
do,” Senator Booker said while addressing Coriell staff. “By the fact that
right here in Camden New Jersey we are global leaders in biobanking
and are on the cutting-edge of so many other aspects of research.”
The Senator was accompanied on his visit by United States Representative
Donald Norcross (D, first congressional district) and Camden City
Mayor Dana Redd.
IN THE PUBLIC
CORIELL SHINES AT CONFERENCES
The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, transformed
into an epicenter for thought and idea sharing in late March during
the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)
2015 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting.
And Coriell Institute was right in the heart of the action.
“I find it remarkable to attend these events along with some of the
most accomplished and influential experts in their respective fields
and realize firsthand how much cache the Coriell name carries in the
scientific community,” says Dr. Nahid Turan, who represented the
Institute at this year’s ACMG meeting.
“The scope of what we do is so comprehensive and diverse,” says
Dr. Turan. “That means I’m just as likely to be approached by a
researcher in a laboratory from across the country who has enlisted
our biobanking services to provide samples, as I am to engage in a
conversation with an authority on human genetics who is familiar
with our personalized medicine efforts.”
Coriell is also in a position to make a sizeable impression at the
International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories
(ISBER) annual meeting in early May.
A global summit situated this year in Phoenix, Arizona, that draws
together top biobanking institutions, ISBER promotes a collaborative
environment for discussion of trends, findings and best practices.
Coriell is sending a group of scientists to attend who will be in the spotlight
while leading a panel session titled, “Navigating the Dynamic Human
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Space.” Dr. Dorit Berlin, Director of
Biobanking at Coriell, will head the discussion.
Stay tuned to the summer edition of Discover Coriell for a full recap.
The ACMG conference was held over the course of five days and featured
40 educational seminars, workshops and forums, in addition to
exhibiting more than 150 companies, service providers and organizations
operating in the medical, clinical and research arenas.
Perhaps in a nod to the warming weather and spring ambition, Coriell’s
conference schedule typically accelerates during this time of year.
SPRING 2015
3
WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE IN SUPPORT OF THE
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS AT CORIELL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. THE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY OF OUR
FRIENDS, INSTITUTIONAL GRANT SUPPORT, AND CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS, SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE OUR
MISSION TO IMPROVE HUMAN HEALTH THROUGH CUTTING-EDGE GENETIC RESEARCH.
CORPORATIONS,
FOUNDATIONS
& ESTATE GIVING
$100,000 +
RNR Foundation
William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation
PRESIDENT CIRCLE $10,000+
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Friedman
Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Williams
LEADERS CIRCLE $5,000 - $9,999
Anonymous
Estate of Minerva E. Sarfert
Helen-Louise Waller Charitable Unitrust
Ms. B. Joan Bellman
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold E. Denton
Mr. Peter Driscoll, Esq.
Ms. JoAnne T. Fredericks
Mr. Joseph S. Holman
Ms. Josephine Klein
Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. Lord
$5,000 - $9,999
PARTNERS CIRCLE $2,500 - $4,999
$10,000 - $99,999
Hearst Foundation
Ladies Auxiliary VFW
T.D. Bank, N.A.
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and
Southern New Jersey
$1,000 - $4,999
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
The Merck Foundation
PSE&G
The Roemer Foundation
The Snider Foundation
Thomas Family Foundation
United Way of Gloucester County
4
CORIELL GIVING
CIRCLES CLUB
DISCOVER CORIELL
Ms. Liesl A. Henderson
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Klorig
Mr. and Mrs. Marc Maser
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Petrone
Mr. and Mrs. Newbold Strong
SUPPORTERS CIRCLE $1000 - $2,499
Mr. and Mrs. Edward G. Barry
Dr. Arnaud Bastien
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Carll
Dr. Michael Christman
Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Davis
Mrs. Janine Donnelly
Mr. G. Burton German, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Kiep III
Drs. Calvin and Orsula Knowlton
Mrs. Constance Madara
Mrs. Rochelle Magarick
Mr. Joseph Mintzer
Ms. Yvonne M. Moore
Dr. Wadia Mulla
Ms. Margaret J. Palmer
Ms. Alisyn W. Stoffel
Dr. and Mrs. Edward D. Viner
DONORS
All donors have our sincerest
appreciation for their gifts. Listed
are contributions of $100 or more,
received in 2014.
$100 - $999
Dr. Edward Abrahams
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Adinolfi
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Atherholt
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bakley
Ms. Kathy Banavitch
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bantivoglio
Ms. Mary L. Barth
Mr. Robert G. Becker
Dr. Dorit Berlin
BioNJ
Ms. Mary Jane Blatt
Ms. Clare Bonner
Mr. Tim Bruder
Dr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Burgess
Mrs. Susan Burkholder
Ms. Karen E. Campbell
Mr. John Campos
Mr. and Mrs. William Carson
Mr. Binoy Cherian
Ms. Shelia Christopher
Mr. and Mrs. George Clement
Mr. Bernie Coccia
Ms. Phyllis R. Corley
Ms. Anne Dalesandro
Dr. Janet DeBerry
Mr. Thomas A. Deeney
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Degnan, Jr.
Mrs. Anne Del Raso
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Denmark
Dr. James William Dow, Jr.
Dow Chemical Company
Mr. Dolores A. Duda
Ms. Christine Falker
Ms. Louise Z. Farr
Mr. Joseph Feitler
Ms. Bettina M. Frost
Ms. Jean Gerry
Dr. Mina Massaro-Giordano
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Giordano
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Greene
Ms. Gretchen R. Hall
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Heuisler
Mrs. Beverly Hogan
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Holben
Mrs. Sandra Hurley
Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers
of New Jersey, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Indiveri
Mr. Charles Ivory
Mrs. Ruth Kain Palmer
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Keith
Mr. William A. Klym
Ms. Nancy P. Krieger
Ms. Mary Krueger
Ms. Katie Laffer
Lourdes Imaging Associates, P.A.
Mr. and Mrs. David Langfitt
Ms. Kelly Macrae
Mr. L. R. Matlack
Ms. Lieselotte Marcus
Ms. Marilyn McGeorge
Ms. Mary E. McNamara
Mr. William Mellet
Merck Partnership for Giving
Ms. Janet Merkh-Evancho
Mr. Peter Mitchell
Dr. Barbara Mitnick
Ms. Clair M. Molotsky
Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Montemurro
Ms. Carberta A. Morrison
Ms. Linda Murakami
Mr. Gary Nasuti
NJM Insurance Group
Mr. Thomas J. Omiatek
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Parker
Mr. George L. Parker, Jr.
Mr. Allan M. Pike
Ms. Elizabeth A. Pipito
PNC Wealth Management
Ms. Eleanor Poplar
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Ragone
Mr. Henry H. Reichner
Ms. Rochelle Resnick
Ms. Mary Ricketts
Ms. Laura Rodi
Mrs. Patricia Romano
Dr. John P. Rudolph
Sbarro Health Research Organization, Inc.
Mr. Larry Simpson
Mrs. Elizabeth Snider
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Springer
Mr. John Steele
Ms. Glenna Stewart
Ms. Christine Strapp
Mr. and Mrs. David Taylor
Ms. Elizabeth Tetlow
Thermal Management Business
Mr. George Thomas
University Pipette Service, Inc.
Mrs. Jeanette Urcinoli
Ms. Danielle Van Drew
Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Whitesell Construction Co., Inc.
Mrs. Jeanne Wilfon
Mr. David R. Wolcott and Mrs. Caroline
Elizabeth Leising
Mrs. Sally Wolgin
Women’s Club of Merchantville
Ms. Barbara Zimmerman
IN - KIND CONTRIBUTIONS
Adventure Aquarium
American Chemical Society,
Philadelphia Section
American Chemical Society,
South Jersey Section
Bradford Renaissance Portraits
Ms. Regina Butterworth
Camden County College
Camden Riversharks
Dr. Michael Christman
Conner Strong & Buckelew
Dr. Janet DeBerry
Mr. and Mrs. James Donnelly, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Giordano
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Johnson
M. Raphaely Memorial Fund
Dr. Barbara Mitnick
Morris Arboretum
Mrs. Sandra Norcross
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Petrone
Rowan College at Gloucester County
Soaring Adventures of America
Spirit of Philadelphia
Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
The Snider Family
The Zajac Family
Zodiac Arresting Systems
WHAT’S IN YOUR GENES?
SPONSORSHIPS & ADS
Archer & Greiner, P.C.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
ASL Transportation Group, Inc.
Assemblyman Troy Singleton
Atlantic City Electric
CareKinesis
Conner Strong & Buckelew
Dilworth Paxson, LLP
DNA Genotek, Inc.
FreedomPay, Inc.
Genewiz, Inc.
The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A.
HealthCare Institute of New Jersey
Holman Automotive Group, Inc.
Magarick Real Estate Associates, LP
McCausland Keen & Buckman
MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper
Philly POPS
PSE&G
T.D. Bank, N.A.
Tegler McHenry & Associates
Thomas Scientific
For more information, or if you have questions
about Coriell’s Donor Programs, contact
Courtney Kronenthal, PhD, at ckronenthal@coriell.org
MESSAGE FROM DR. CHRISTMAN
On behalf of the Coriell Board of Trustees and all of the hard-working scientists and staff at the Institute,
I’d like to thank you for supporting cutting-edge science with your contribution.
We reached – and even exceeded – several major benchmarks in 2014. The pioneering Coriell Personalized
Medicine Collaborative research study received a $10M award from the United States Air Force to enroll 4,500
new participants; we launched a West Coast biorepository to house our expanding induced pluripotent stem
cell collection; and our for-profit spinoff company continued to grow while partnered with IBM. I hope you’re
as excited as I am about all the opportunities ahead in 2015.
Gratefully yours,
SPRING 2015
5
BEYOND THE INSTITUTE
IBM ACKNOWLEDGES CORIELL LIFE SCIENCES WITH PARTNER AWARD
By this point in his tenure as President and CEO of Coriell Life Sciences
(CLS), the for-profit spinoff venture that leverages the framework of
Coriell’s personalized medicine research study, Scott Megill has grown
uniquely accustomed to speaking in front of large crowds.
Well, in this particular instance, large might be a bit of an understatement.
Megill was invited on stage in February to lecture at the IBM
PartnerWorld Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The
occasion was a year removed from CLS’ breakthrough debut, when the
organization bested thousands of startups from all around the world
and was named the “IBM Entrepreneur of the Year.”
At that time, CLS was a rapidly rising company establishing itself as a
major force in the competitive genomic and big data landscapes, and
was being acknowledged as a distinguished performer by its partner
organization, technology giant IBM.
Proof that time doesn’t always change everything.
This year, Megill stood front and center in an arena and delivered his
presentation to upwards of 22,000 tech executives, industry insiders
and journalists after accepting a 2015 IBM Beacon Award, a prestigious
honor designated to a select group of standout partners.
“It’s almost impossible not to be even a little nervous when speaking
in front of an audience that size,” says Megill. “But, truthfully, Coriell
Life Sciences has made so much progress in the last year that the
prevailing feeling is excitement.
“I feel excited to have the opportunity to connect with so many people
and share the CLS vision of a better, more precise health future informed
by genetic comprehension and incorporation.”
IBM identified CLS for its outstanding cloud integration and
innovative applications.
“The 2015 Beacon Award winners are business partners who have
demonstrated their ability to transform the way their industries do
business and deliver outstanding value to clients through the development
of new, advanced solutions focused on cloud, analytics, mobile,
security and social,” says Marc Dupaquier, general manager, IBM
Global Business Partners. “We’re pleased to recognize Coriell Life
Sciences for consistently delivering these innovative IBM solutions.”
EDUCATION
“The amount of effort and energy these students invest in their projects
is incredible,” says Dr. Norman Gerry, director of Coriell’s Genotyping
and Microarray Center and the principal investigator of the National
Institute of Aging Repository.
The students who participated in the 34th Annual Coriell Science Fair
in late March spent months honing hypotheses and refining research plans.
Dr. Gerry is but one of the many science professionals from both
Coriell and the Greater Philadelphia community who volunteers to
serve as a judge and evaluate the top-notch projects showcased at the
Fair each year.
TALENTED STUDENTS EXHIBIT PASSION
FOR SCIENCE AT CORIELL FAIR
They filled out comprehensive project forms, constructed elaborate
tri-fold boards and rehearsed key talking points in front of parents
and teachers (and sometimes cooperative pets and mirrored reflections,
when a little extra practice was necessary).
In fact, by the time the hundreds of scientists-in-training from middle
and high schools in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties
filed into the Camden County College gymnasium, ready to speak
with judges and represent their work, they were already seasoned
science fair pros.
6
DISCOVER CORIELL
“It’s so important to promote science education and nurture promising
young minds,” says Dr. Gerry. “By learning and adhering to the scientific
method, these students are cultivating the same skills they’ll eventually
carry into higher education and, potentially, laboratory environments.
Students explored a diverse range of project categories, including
chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science and
more. Top finishers in each category advanced to the regional finals in
early April at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GROUP POWERS CORIELL
“I think it’s really fair to say my team stretches the outer limits of the
‘something different every day’ concept,” says Mark Bellafante, director
of Information Technology (IT) at Coriell.
“What’s fast and effective today is slow and outdated tomorrow,”
says Bellafante. “In this field, novel ideas aren’t heralded – they’re
prototyped, implemented and then quickly bested.”
Bellafante oversees one of the largest groups in the Institute – IT is
comprised of systems administrators and application developers –
who work closely with directors in every department to build and
support the technology systems that drive Coriell’s mission.
This need for speed is put to the test at Coriell, where the IT group is
regularly tasked with thinking outside the box to enable scientific processes.
“At the most fundamental level, the Information Technology department
is responsible for providing the proper hardware, software and networking
capabilities to all Coriell employees,” says Bellafante.
“The IT team consistently accepts challenges as distinctive as managing
all of the data generated by Coriell’s personalized medicine research
study, or seamlessly powering the electronic catalog that makes
biospecimens available to scientist halfway around the world with
the click of a mouse,” he says.
“But that’s really only the starting point.”
“We take pride in building IT systems that exceed user expectations.”
As an organization operating on the frontier of medical science, Coriell
must match the blistering pace of new technologies as they advance.
Coriell wishes to congratulate all of the hard-working teachers, students and parents who
helped make the 34th Fair such a memorable occasion. The Institute also thanks the event
sponsors for their generous contributions and support: TD Bank, Camden County
College, Burlington County College, Dow Chemical Company, Gallagher Bollinger,
PSE&G and Rowan College at Gloucester County.
SPRING 2015
7
LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP
ADVANCE SCIENCE AT CORIELL,
VISIT WWW.CORIELL.ORG/GIVING
403 HADDON AVENUE | CAMDEN, NJ 08103
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
IN THIS ISSUE
Cover Story: Coriell Receives Biobank Grant
Stem Cell Milestone Pg 2
Conference Spotlight Pg 3
Thanking Our Supporters Pg 4
Science Fair Success Pg 6
Importance of IT Pg 7
IN THE PUBLIC
DR. DORIT BERLIN INCLUDED ON “BEST OF
HEALTHCARE” LIST
Dr. Dorit Berlin, Coriell’s Director of Biobanking, has been selected by a
business publication as one of the region’s top researchers in healthcare.
South Jersey Biz’s “Best of Healthcare” edition highlighted leaders in the
areas of medicine, research and advocacy, spotlighting rising stars, successful
partnerships, noteworthy trendsetters and pioneering researchers.
“It’s very rewarding to see our high-quality biological resources be used by
researchers around the world to fuel scientific breakthroughs,” Dr. Berlin says
in the piece.
Visit us online for more, including a link to the South Jersey Biz feature.
403 HADDON AVENUE, CAMDEN, NJ 08103 | (856) 966-7377 | CORIELL.ORG