Tom Blumenthal takes the reigns of Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

Renowned Scientist, Tom Blumenthal, takes the helm of

Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

DENVER (July 2, 2012) – Nationally renowned molecular biologist, Tom Blumenthal, Ph.D, has been named the new Executive Director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome headquartered at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus.

Dr. Blumenthal, who is leaving his post as Chairman of the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department at the University of Colorado Boulder, brings an impressive track record of academic management and basic science experience to his new role.

“Morally I believe we are obligated to help people through scientific study.  Scientifically I am intrigued with the Crnic Institute’s mission to eradicate the medical and cognitive ill effects associated with Down syndrome,” said Blumenthal. “Given current technological advances I believe we have a fighting chance at delivering. My first focus will be to dramatically increase the amount of research the Crnic Institute is engaged in, and to initiate a competitive Grand Challenges grant program within the University of Colorado system.”

Dr. Blumenthal is no stranger to the Crnic Institute’s mission. From its inception he has served on the Crnic Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board and for the past year on the Board of Directors.

“We are excited about the leadership, scientific knowledge, professionalism and passion Dr. Blumenthal brings to the Crnic Institute,” said John J. Sie, co-trustee of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation and founding donor of the Crnic Institute. “With Tom at the helm, we are confident our $22 million donation will create unprecedented excellent quality medical care but also important basic research benefitting people with Down syndrome.”

Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, which provides fundraising, education, awareness and government advocacy for the Crnic Institute agrees. “Dr. Blumenthal has already started major research initiatives that we can galvanize our community around, fundraise for and educate society about. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Lilly Marks, a Crnic Institute Board of Directors Member, Vice President for Health Affairs University of Colorado and Executive Vice Chancellor of the Anschutz Medical Campus welcomes her distinguished colleague. “Tom’s deep network of scientific colleagues on both campuses puts him in a unique position to galvanize research benefitting people with Down syndrome. He has the scientific leadership that is important for a multidisciplinary, multi-campus effort to ameliorate the adverse effects of Down syndrome.”

Dr. Blumenthal served as two-term Chair for the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to that he was the Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for eight years, and before that Chair of Biological Sciences at Indiana University, Bloomington, for many years. 

Dr. Blumenthal earned his undergraduate degree in Biology at Antioch College in 1966. He was a National Science Foundation fellow during his graduate work at Johns Hopkins University, from which he received his PhD in Genetics in 1970. He was awarded the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, which he completed at Harvard University’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1973. Dr. Blumenthal is the author of more than 100 scholarly articles and one book, and currently sits on the editorial boards of the journals RNA, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Transcription and Worm, in addition to the online book, Wormbook.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Medical and Graduate Departments of Biochemistry, the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the RNA Society and the Scientific Advisory Board of Wormbase, the C. elegans database. He also served as a member of the University of California Science and Technology Committee and the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Biological Science Divisions of the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. He was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010.

Dr. Blumenthal’s research in the area of gene expression concentrates on mechanisms of pre-mRNA processing in C. elegans and how that relates to organization of genes on chromosomes. Dr. Blumenthal’s work with the C. elegans model system even has possibly significant implications for understanding Down syndrome, despite its seemingly distinct focus. Dr. Blumenthal emphasizes that, “We do not currently understand how an extra copy of chromosome 21 results in all the many effects seen in people with Down syndrome, but dramatic changes in gene expression may be the most likely explanation.” Dr. Blumenthal is excited to have the opportunity to facilitate putting together research teams to test ideas like this both to understand the causes of, and the benefit to those who have, Down syndrome.

About the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome is the first medical and research institute with the mission to provide the best clinical care to people with Down syndrome, and to eradicate the medical and cognitive ill effects associated with the condition. Established in 2008, the Crnic Institute is a partnership between the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Children’s Hospital Colorado. Headquartered on the Anschutz Medical Campus, the Crnic Institute includes the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. It partners both locally and globally to provide life-changing research and medical care for individuals with Down syndrome. The Crnic Institute is made possible by the generous support of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, and relies on the Global Down Syndrome Foundation for fundraising, education, awareness and government advocacy. It is a research and medical-based organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy.  Formally established in 2009, the Foundation’s primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the first academic home in the US committed to research and medical care for people with the condition. Fundraising and government advocacy that corrects the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major short-term goal. The Foundation organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show - the single largest annual fundraiser benefitting people with Down syndrome. Programmatically the Foundation organizes and funds many programs and conferences including the Dare to Play Football and Cheer Camps, Global Down Syndrome Educational Series, and Global Down Syndrome Multi-Language Resource Project. The Foundation is an inclusive organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.