Awardees receive funding to accelerate research and development of stem cell therapies
COLUMBIA, Md., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission (“Commission”) announced awarding over $18 million in grants aimed at accelerating cutting-edge stem cell and regenerative medicine research across Maryland.
Ruchika Nijhara, PhD
Executive Director, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund
(MSCRF)
MSCRF logo (PRNewsfoto/Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission)
This funding supports 52 investigators from top Maryland based research institutions and companies working on almost 50 different medical conditions and diseases including sickle cell anemia, diabetes, cancers and chronic pain to diseases directed to heart, bone, blood, digestive and neurological conditions. This year’s grant recipients feature innovative companies such as Seraxis Inc., Britecyte Inc., SereNeuro Therapeutics Inc. and Diagnostic Biochips, Inc. They are joined by academic researchers from Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences/Henry Jackson Foundation. The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore is newly represented among this year’s funded institutions, strengthening statewide support for regenerative medicine research.
“We are especially proud to support the first stem cell research grant application from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. It is exciting to see Maryland’s regenerative medicine community continue to expand,” stated Ruchika Nijhara, Ph.D. executive director of Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). “New companies are emerging and our existing portfolio companies with MSCRF-funded projects are advancing to human clinical trials, bringing discoveries closer to patients and fulfilling the mission of MSCRF.”
Awardees submitted proposals in response to the Commission’s Request for Applications (RFAs) for the second funding round of fiscal year 2025. Earlier in the fiscal year, the Commission also allocated over $4.5 million in additional research grants to public and private entities in Maryland. Since its establishment under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006, MSCRF has invested over $200 million in 650+ projects, generating $525 million in economic activity and creating over 2,000 jobs statewide.
“We recognize the life-saving potential of the research supported by our grant awardees. Sustained MSCRF funding is essential to advancing these efforts, particularly in today’s challenging funding landscape,” emphasized Rachel Brewster, Ph.D., chair of the Commission. “We remain committed to helping innovative scientists and companies move cutting-edge stem cell research from the lab to patient care.”
The Commission will soon release RFAs for the first round of fiscal year 2026 funding, with applications due in July 2025, to continue fostering innovative research and advancing promising cures through the various programs of MSCRF.
The second round of MSCRF awards for the 2025 fiscal year includes the following:
- Launch: These awards are to encourage new and new-to-the-field faculty to bring innovative research and technology to the regenerative medicine field. Totaling $3,440,434, the Launch Award recipients are Dr. Ryan D Sochol from the University of Maryland, College Park; Drs. Whitney Parker, Sui Seng Tee, Vivek Garg and Zubair M Ahmed from the University of Maryland, Baltimore; Dr. Erin Green from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Drs. Qun Li, Mahaa Umapathi, Marjan Gharagozloo and Xiao Yang from Johns Hopkins University.
- Commercialization: These awards are for companies to develop new human stem cell-based products in Maryland. Totaling $992,710, the Commercialization Award recipients are Diagnostic Biochips, Inc. (Dr. Brian Jamieson); and Daniel Saragnese from SereNeuro Therapeutics, Inc.
- Clinical: This award is for public and private entities that wish to conduct human stem cell-based clinical trials in the State of Maryland. Totaling $1,499,145, the Clinical Award recipients are Dr. Heather Symons from John Hopkins University; and Dr. Alla Danilkovitch from Britecyte, Inc.
- Manufacturing Assistance: These awards provide entities with funding to support the manufacturing processes/infrastructure of stem cell therapy products in Maryland. Totaling $918,534, the Manufacturing Assistance Award recipient is Seraxis, Inc. (Dr. William Rust).
- Validation: This award supports faculty at Maryland-based Universities/Research institutes with intellectual property for human stem cell-based technologies that require additional validation. Totaling $350,000, the Validation Award recipient is Dr. Elias T. Zambidis from John Hopkins University.
- Discovery: These awards fund innovative ideas to develop novel human stem cell-based technologies and cures. Totaling $9,948,617, the Discovery Award recipients include Dr. Younggeon Jin from University of Maryland, College Park; Drs. Seth Ament, Curt Civin and Ricardo Feldman, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore; Dr. Jiabing Fan from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; Daniel Lobo, Ph.D., from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Kathleen Pratt, Ph.D., from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences/Henry Jackson Foundation; and Drs. Lena Smirnova, Hee Cheol Cho, William B. Dalton, Linda Resar, Jeff W. Bulte, Xitiz Chamling, Nicholas Maragakis, Alan D. Friedman, Pan Li, Jiou Wang, Hilary Vernon, Alyssa N Coyne, Gabsang Lee, Brian O’Rourke, Rajini Rao, Jill Fahrner, Xizhen Lian, Shaun Kunisaki, Tae-In Kam, Arens Taga, Ludovic Zimmerlin and Farah Mohamed from Johns Hopkins University.
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship: These awards support exceptional post-doctoral fellows conducting research in Maryland. Totaling $910,000 the Postdoctoral Fellowship Award recipients include Drs. Sterling P Arjona and Siddharth Shah from the University of Maryland, Baltimore; Dr. Luis Carlos Pinzon Herrera from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Drs. Hira Butt, Willem T Buys, Longfei Li and Niannian Xu from John Hopkins University.
More information on current MSCRF awardees and funding opportunities is available on MSCRF website. Visit us at mscrf.org.
About the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission and Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, through Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, focuses on identifying and funding cutting-edge research and innovation in the field of regenerative medicine in Maryland. Our Accelerating Cures initiative comprises programs that help transition human stem cell-based technologies from the bench to the bedside as well as mechanisms to build and grow stem cell companies in Maryland.
About TEDCO
TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.
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SOURCE Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission
