Proposition 71 creates hope, funding for future research

By Kimi Clark
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

Proposition 71, which passed in the November election with 59 percent of the vote, will allocate $3 billion from the general fund to schools, facilities and businesses in the quest for stem cell research based medical cures.

"I think Cal State schools like ours can be competitive if we continue to support research. Clearly Long Beach with its new building and facilities can be competitive," says Michael Myers, an assistant professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department. "This money from Proposition 71 is $300 million a year. That's about 12 times what the NIH [National Institutes of Health] awards this year. With that level of funding — I would hope we could get a piece of the pie."

Stephen Mezyk, a fellow CSULB assistant professor and longtime veteran of university research grant programs also remains positive. "At places like CSULB we suffer because we are so small in comparison to the biggest research universities so we tend to get overlooked at the federal level. Having local California money to help those of us here will allow the smaller institutions to obtain relatively greater funding."

Myers who is currently researching "ion channel development in stem cells isolated from umbilical cords" hopes that Proposition 71 will help to better provide financial relief for medical research scientists.

"I got a grant from a private foundation that funds first submissions like mine at five percent. That means five out of 100 get funded," Myers said.
Increased availability of grant monies will allow scientists, like Myers, to get back to what they consider important — finding a cure.

"This work is very expensive to undertake and the funds will help a great deal. We have seen great success in curing disease in animal models — human trials are underway with preliminary success," Myers said.

Not all scientists, however, are certain of the imminent discovery of a cure and choose to remain cautious.

"Three billion dollars sounds like a lot, but it is really a very small amount compared to what it's going to cost to make stem cell research really work," Mezyk said. "It is a good start to this area of research. It's the start of this very important technology, which I think will hold great promise to help everyone in the future."

CSULB students are likewise split on the issue.

"I think it's a very good idea. It's something that can benefit everybody. I would say at least 75 percent of people know someone who could be affected positively by stem cell research," said pre-med undergraduate Masood Memarzadeh.