LOS ANGELES (Sept. 13, 2012) – Rodney White, M.D., lead investigator at The Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed), and Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery at Harbor-UCLA, has been chosen as a recipient for the 2012 Golden Goose Award for his work with coralline ceramics. The Golden Goose Award recognizes scientists whose federally funded research has produced important discoveries that have affected society in a positive way. Dr. White and his fellow recipients are being honored on Sept. 13, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
The Golden Goose Award was created by U.S. Representatives Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), and Robert J. Dold (R-Ill.) to highlight the often unexpected or serendipitous nature of basic scientific research by honoring federally funded researchers whose work may once have been viewed as unusual, odd, or obscure but has produced important discoveries benefitting society in significant ways. Other members of Congress lending support to the Golden Goose Award include Representatives Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), Rush Holt (D-N.J.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.).
"We congratulate Dr. White on receiving this prestigious honor," said David I. Meyer, Ph.D., President and CEO of LA BioMed. "Dr. White's many contributions, particularly in the area of new technologies and alternative treatments to traditional surgery have enabled patients to undergo less invasive procedures to treat various vascular conditions."
Dr. White was recognized by the Golden Goose Award selection committee for his work with coralline ceramics, which are synthetics that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as some of the first bone substitutes available. Dr. White's work with coralline ceramics began in the 1970s, when he began comparing the structure of coral found in tropical oceans to the porous ceramics and metals that were being used in bone grafts. The coral's structure was ideal for allowing blood vessels to grow into an implant made with the coral, promoting the growth of new bone. Today, coralline ceramics are used in many of the approximately 500,000 bone grafting procedures performed each year in the United States.
During his tenure at LA BioMed, Dr. White has spent much time investigating new treatments and approaches to preventing aneurysm ruptures and reducing surgical risks to patients. He and his team have pioneered the use of endovascular stent grafts as an alternative to traditional surgery for aortic aneurysms, which can occur in the part of the aorta that passes through the abdomen, and also in the part that passes through the chest, or thorax. According to Dr. White, patients who undergo this procedure instead of the more invasive surgery recover much faster and experience far fewer discomforts.
The Golden Goose Award was launched by a coalition of scientific, business, university and public policy groups, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Breakthrough Institute, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), The Science Coalition (TSC), and the Task Force on American Innovation. These groups share the belief that federally funded basic scientific research is the cornerstone of American innovation and essential to the nation's economic growth and global competitiveness.
About LA BioMed
Founded in 1952, LA BioMed is one of the country's leading nonprofit independent biomedical research institutes. It has approximately 100 principal researchers conducting studies into improved treatments and cures for cancer, inherited diseases, infectious diseases, illnesses caused by environmental factors and more. It also educates young scientists and provides community services, including prenatal counseling and childhood nutrition programs. LA BioMed is academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.LABioMed.org.