Respected San Diego technology leader to head research institute Board
SAN DIEGO - (June 29, 2010) The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology's Board of Directors elected John E. Major, an accomplished and respected leader in San Diego's high-tech community, as chairman of the Board at its June meeting.
Mr. Major is the non-executive chairman of the Board of Broadcom, Inc., a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. He is also chairman of CommNexus San Diego, a nonprofit organization created to support the growth and success of the technology industry in the San Diego region.
"The Institute is fortunate to have a San Diego business leader of John Major's caliber elected as its Board Chairman," said Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer. "John will bring his vast executive experience, business acumen and an innovator's mind to his role as Board Chairman and we know the Institute will benefit under his guiding hand."
A nonprofit organization, the La Jolla Institute is one of the world's leaders in immunology research and one of the few in the world focused on solving immune-mediated diseases and improving vaccines.
Mr. Major succeeds Samuel Strober, M.D., a prominent Stanford University professor of medicine and a highly respected immunologist, as Board chairman. Dr. Strober will remain on the Board and also on the Institute's Scientific Advisory Board, a distinguished panel of outside specialists, which conducts annual evaluations of scientific progress and reviews future research objectives.
"During his five years as Board Chairman, Dr. Strober led our Institute through a period of significant expansion and research success," said Dr. Kronenberg. "We are extremely grateful for his insightful leadership which spurred us toward even greater scientific excellence. We look forward to his continued assistance on the Board and in serving as a key member on our Scientific Advisory Board."
Mr. Major said enhancing San Diego's understanding of the La Jolla Institute's vitally important research will be one of his aims as Board Chairman. "The La Jolla Institute is one of the world's finest research institutes. One of my goals as Board Chairman will be to help raise the community's awareness of the Institute and its work on an incredibly broad spectrum of diseases. Whether it be infectious diseases, type 1 diabetes, heart disease or cancer, the immune system offers one of the greatest scientific avenues for fighting these diseases and improving human health. We are fortunate to have this immunology leader as a member of San Diego's world-renowned life science community."
In addition to Mr. Major's work with CommNexus San Diego and Broadcom, Inc., where he has served as chairman since May 2008, he is founder and president of MTSG, a private investment, consulting and governance company. He serves on three other public company boards as well.
About La Jolla Institute
Founded in 1988, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology is a biomedical research nonprofit focused on improving human health through increased understanding of the immune system. Its scientists carry out research seeking new knowledge leading to the prevention of disease through vaccines and the treatment and cure of infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, Crohn's disease and asthma. La Jolla Institute's research staff includes more than 100 Ph.D.s and M.D.s.
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