Role will expand research laboratories, support new investigator-initiated grant opportunities, elevate research capabilities, and develop external scientific collaborations.
NEW YORK — New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) announced today the appointment of Larry Luchsinger, PhD to the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).
In this role, Dr. Luchsinger will oversee the strategy and implementation of NYBCe’s research and development activities to foster a culture of collaboration and excellence among the organization’s diverse and talented scientists. Dr. Luchsinger was previously Vice President and Director of Research Operations at NYBCe’s Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI), and he will continue to lead the team along with support from Karina Yazdanbakhsh, PhD, Vice President and Director of Research Development.
Dr. Luchsinger will spearhead LFKRI’s recharge initiative to expand research laboratories, support new investigator-initiated grant opportunities, elevate research capabilities, and develop external scientific collaborations. He will also oversee the rebranding of LFKRI into core pillars of research and ‘Centers of Excellence,’ highlighting the overlap between laboratories or ‘Research Hubs,’ enabling visibility to external partners interested in the expertise and capabilities of LFKRI.
“I’m pleased to take on this expanded role at NYBCe as we continue to enhance our capabilities to fuel revolutionary scientific discoveries,” said Dr. Luchsinger. “NYBCe is at the vanguard of hematological research and I am eager to support the potential of our talented team and develop meaningful opportunities for collaboration with new partners.”
“Larry’s exceptional leadership and deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies will be critical to an exciting new chapter in our journey of scientific exploration,” said Christopher D. Hillyer, MD, President and CEO, of New York Blood Center Enterprises. “Under his leadership, NYBCe will push the boundaries of knowledge, produce groundbreaking discoveries, and solidify our role as the premier hematology research institute.”
Dr. Luchsinger’s research focuses on Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), as well as LFKRI’s research efforts to create an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Bank. He was awarded a $2.5 million grant award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to complete a five-year research project entitled, Hormetric ER stress Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function. He was also a recipient of an American Association of Blood Bank’s National Blood Foundation (NBF) Scientific Research Grant. Dr. Luchsinger earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine and completed his postdoctoral studies at Columbia University.
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About New York Blood Center: Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the world. NYBC, along with its operating divisions Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri (CBC), Innovative Blood Resources (IBR), Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), and Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve local communities of more than 75 million people in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), Mid Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD, VA), Missouri and Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England. NYBC and its operating divisions also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services to over 500 hospitals nationally, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which — among other milestones — developed a practical screening method for hepatitis B as well as a safe, effective and affordable vaccine, and a patented solvent detergent plasma process.