CIRM CEO Search: 100 Plus 'Applicants' Hoping to Lead the Quest for Revolutionary Treatments Backed by Billions from California

Stem cells, gene therapy, treatment affordability -- all part of the yeasty brew

From cover of material prepared for CIRM CEO search

With less than two weeks to go before the official application deadline, the search for a new CEO and president of the $12 billion California stem cell agency has lured more than 100 “applicants,” according to LinkedIn. 

No names have surfaced at this very early stage in the confidential process and even the number of “real” applicants is in question. LinkedIn’s count is limited, and its definition of what constitutes an “applicant” is squishy. So is the March 29 application deadline. 

The agency, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), has an initial goal of hiring the new CEO by the end of June. Past searches have taken 10 months. The position became vacant on Nov. 7 last year. No solicitations for applicants were posted online until March 1. 

Meanwhile, CIRM continues to award close to $500 million a year for research and move forward on other efforts