Real Life Dr. "McDreamys" Reveal Private Lives
Stem Cell Researchers Hang Up their Lab Coats for Sabrina
Miami Beach, FL (Vocus/PRWEB) December 01, 2010
Twelve renowned research doctors took a day off recently from leading medical breakthroughs in ground-breaking stem cell research to doff their lab coats, don their casual wear, and give Sabrina a sneak peek into their private lives.
As Executive Director and President of a foundation in her name, Sabrina Cohen used all her available powers of persuasion to convince some of America’s top scientists in the field of Regenerative Medicine to swap out their luminous titles for a day in exchange for being a Pin-Up Man of the Month. The result is the 2011 “CELLebrity” Doctors Calendar hitting the market just in time for the New Year and charitable contribution season.
“The calendar not only gives us a great candid shot of these men in their own personal environments doing something they love outside of work,” says Sabrina, “but also gives us a sense of their commitment to this research and changing the way we treat untreatable conditions.”
“Sabrina is a smart, attractive, persuasive, and successful advocate who is passionate about raising money she can put directly into the hands of stem cell researchers”, says Lee Buckler a Foundation supporter and Managing Director of RegenerativeMedicineJobs. com. “These guys just couldn’t say no.”
The 2011 “CELLebrity” Doctors Calendar, now featured by the Geoffrey Beene Foundations’ Rock Stars of Science program, is available online at http://www. CELLebrityDocsCalendar. com. All proceeds from calendar sales benefit the Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research, a 501c3 non-profit organization directly funding advanced stages of stem cell clinical research.
The ‘CELLebrity’ Doctors
Two of the doctors featured in the calendar have already been grant recipients of research funding raised by the Sabrina Cohen Foundation.
Dr. Hans Keirstead, University of California, Irvine (Mr. October and also gracing the calendar‘s cover), led his team of researchers to successfully develop a human embryonic stem cell derived treatment for acute spinal cord injury in rats, which was given permission earlier this year by the FDA to proceed with human clinical trials for acute spinal cord injury. The trial, currently underway by Geron Corporation, marks the first human embryonic stem cell trial ever approved in the United States.
"It is our goal,” stated Dr. Kierstead, “to develop treatments for spinal cord injury. Treatment after treatment...until wheelchairs are a thing of the past."
Dr. Joshua Hare (Mr. February), of University of Miami’s Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, recently pioneered a new methodology for the treatment of heart attacks by injecting the patient’s own stem cells into their heart, thereby repairing damaged muscle.
The calendar features stem cell researchers focusing on treating and eradicating heart disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyolotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), Alzheimer's disease, degenerative eye diseases, Huntington's disease, cancer, spinal cord injuries and diabetes.
Mr. July, Dr. Robert Lanz, CSO of Advanced Cell Technology, just received a green light for FDA approval for what will be the second embryonic stem cell clinical trial in the United States. The trial will treat 12 patients diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, an incurable affliction that destroys vision in young children.
Other doctors who donated their time and façade to the cause include: Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute; Dr. Samuel Gandy, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY; Dr. Lorenz Studer, Sloan-Kettering Institute; Dr. Nicholas Maragakis, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Donald Phinney, Scripps Research Institute; Dr. Clive Svendsen, Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute; Dr. Michael Verneris, University of Minnesota; Dr. Juan Dominguez-Bendala, Diabetes Research Institute and Dr. Gary Hammer, University of Michigan.
The Sabrina Cohen Foundation
The Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research (SCF) was founded in 2006 by stem cell research advocate and quadriplegic, Sabrina Cohen, with the intent to be a leader in the fight against disease. SCF envisions a world where the devastating impact of illness and disease is significantly reduced with sound, ethical stem cell solutions, allowing individuals and families to live life to the fullest. SCF is managed and operated as an "Organization for Cures" dedicated to funding advanced stages of research that will accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of therapeutics for all diseases that can benefit; including spinal cord injury, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's, cancer and Alzheimer's.
It’s difficult to talk about the Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research without mentioning the person behind it, Sabrina Cohen. Sabrina is the Executive Director and President of the foundation. She graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Communications, double majoring in Advertising and Psychology. Sabrina also holds a post-graduate degree in Copywriting from the Miami Ad School. She is a C5 Quadriplegic, as the result of a spinal cord injury from a car accident in 1992. In 2006, she established the Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research to raise funds for research because she believes stem cell research will lead to the greatest medical advances of our time. Sabrina is a Motivational Speaker & Spokesperson continuously speaking in schools, universities and community centers. She has spoken at scientific conferences around the country, including the "World Stem Cell Summit" at the University of Wisconsin, Harvard University, Stanford University, Baylor College of Medicine at the University of Texas, and at the United Nations. Sabrina believes her wheelchair is her vehicle to promote change in the world.
Sabrina Cohen was recognized by WebMD Magazine as a 2009 "American Health Hero”. Sabrina is currently available for interviews highlighting the 2011 “CELLebrity” Doctors Calendar fundraiser.
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