The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, which for 68 years has championed the greatest advances in medical research, announced Wednesday (Jan. 23) the appointment of Claire Pomeroy as president of the Lasker Foundation. Pomeroy will join the foundation some time this spring.

Pomeroy

Pomeroy, an expert in infectious diseases, is a professor of internal medicine and microbiology and immunology, as well as dean of the School of Medicine, chief executive officer of UC Davis Health System and vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences. She had previously announced that she would leave the university June 30 of this year.

As a clinician, Pomeroy is a long-time advocate for patients with HIV-AIDS. She has a special interest in health care policy and has led efforts to advance electronic records to improve patient care. Pomeroy succeeds Maria Freire, who led the foundation from 2008 until her appointment as president of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., last November.

Alfred Sommer, chairman of the Lasker Foundation Board, announced the appointment: “We are thrilled to welcome Claire Pomeroy as the Lasker Foundation’s new president. Dr. Pomeroy has demonstrated leadership, scholarship and vision, both as a researcher and as an advocate of bringing the benefits of medical research to the bedside and to the improvement of the health of the population as a whole.”

Joseph L. Goldstein, chair of the Lasker Medical Research Awards Jury, said: “Claire Pomeroy’s versatile background in research, advocacy and policy will enrich the foundation and enhance it in its mission to recognize fundamental discoveries in biology and important advances in clinical practice.”

In her new post, Pomeroy will take the lead role in guiding the Lasker Foundation in its mission of supporting biomedical research toward conquering disease, improving human health and extending life, and in presiding over the Lasker Awards, which since 1945 have recognized the contributions of scientists, physicians and public servants who have made major progress in understanding, diagnosing, treating, curing and preventing human disease worldwide. Eighty-three Lasker laureates have received the Nobel Prize, including 31 in the last two decades.

Pomeroy said, "I am honored to join the Lasker Foundation and inspired by its mission to celebrate medical research and the benefits it brings to each of us as individuals and as a society. The Lasker Foundation's history of honoring the leading minds of medical research, advocating for ongoing investment in research and reaching out to the public to share the importance of this research is a national treasure. I look forward to partnering with the board of directors, the awards jury and the Lasker staff to build on this legacy and further advance the important work of the foundation."

The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation fosters the prevention and treatment of disease and disabilities by honoring excellence in basic and clinical science, by educating the public, and by advocating for support of medical research. Founded in 1942, the Lasker Foundation presents the prestigious Lasker Awards, which recognize the world's leaders in basic and clinical medical research, and individuals with outstanding public service.

For much of the 20th century, the foundation was led by Mary Lasker, who was America's most prominent citizen-activist for public investment in medical research. She is widely credited with motivating the White House and the Congress to greatly expand federal funding for medical research, particularly through the National Institutes of Health.

The Lasker Awards are among the most respected science prizes in the world. Recipients of the Lasker Medical Research Awards are selected by a distinguished international jury chaired by Joseph L. Goldstein, recipient of the 1985 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research and the Nobel Prize in Medicine. More details on the Lasker Award recipients, the full citations for each award category, video interviews and photos of the awardees, and additional information on the foundation are available online.