Team of 30 HIV researchers coming to PSL
January 29th, 2009 by Post StaffBy EVE SAMPLES
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
PORT ST. LUCIE — One of the world’s leading HIV-vaccine development teams is moving from Montreal to Port St. Lucie.
Rafick-Pierre Sékaly of the University of Montreal and his group of more than 30 scientists will relocate to the city in the next few months to work at VGTI Florida, the East Coast branch of Oregon Health & Science University’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, the institute announced today.
VGTI accepted $60 million in state incentives last year to open a campus in Port St. Lucie.
Construction of VGTI’s 105,000-square-foot facility is expected to start in the coming months. Meanwhile, Sékaly and his team will work from the third floor of the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, which just moved into its new building at the Tradition development.
Sékaly is scientific director of basic research and strategic planning and director of the Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology for the University of Montreal Hospital Centre’s Research Centre. He also is scientific director for the National Laboratory of Immune Monitoring, a collaboration between the University of Montreal and MDS Pharma.
His work has resulted in more than 20 patents.
He will serve as scientific director at VGTI Florida and co-direct the facility with OHSU’s Jay Nelson, who is director of VGTI’s main facility in Portland, Ore.
“The recruitment of a scientist of Dr Sékaly’s caliber is a real coup for the VGTI,” said Nelson said in a statement. “He is considered one of the leading human immunologists in the world. We anticipate that his work in infectious disease and cancer will accelerate the production of therapies for the citizens of Florida, the U.S. in general, and the world as a whole.”
Within 10 years, VGTI Florida must employ at least 200 people, according to its contract with the state.
~eve_samples@pbpost.com
Tags: biotech, HIV, Rafick-Pierre Sékaly, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute
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May 4th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Rafick Sekaly is an excellent scientist but he has spent 120 millions $ for a basic research (CANVAC) funded by the canadian federal Government without producing any substantial applied results. I am sure he will spent again a lot of money and nothing will be applicable for the market place.