SoCalBio to Honor 2022 Innovation Award Winners on December 1st Gala

Los Angeles-Area Bioscience Trendsetters Will be Celebrated at Event Hosted by L.A.'s "Voice for Business News" Frank Mottek; Lifetime Achievement Award Will Go to Legendary Researcher/Nobel-Prize Winner David Baltimore, PhD

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southern California Biomedical Council (SoCalBio) -- the trade association for bioscience and digital health professionals across Greater Los Angeles – will honor three of the region's most esteemed bioscience innovators during the 2022 SoCalBio Award Gala on Thursday, December 1^st at the Jonathan Club in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Awards recognize and celebrate the contributions of Los Angeles Region bioscience entrepreneurs, researchers, and educators.

The 2022 honorees include:

• David Baltimore, PhD of Caltech -- recipient of the 2022 SoCalBio Life-Time Achievement Award. 
• Scott Fraser, PhD of USC Science Initiatives – recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Researcher Award.
• Marc Baum, PhD of the Oaks Crest Institute – recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Educator Award. 

"We are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2022 honorees who embody the spirit of innovation in their respective fields," said Robert Greenberg, MD, PhD, Chairman of SoCalBio and Executive Chairman of the Alfred E. Mann Foundation. "Their life and career stories exemplify the best that our region has to offer in entrepreneurship, research, and education. SoCalBio is grateful for their remarkable contributions that enrich the bioscience communities here and around the world."

SoCalBio is also very pleased to announce that renowned television and radio news anchor Frank Mottek will host the Award Gala. Known as "the Voice of Business News in Los Angeles," Mr. Mottek's career in broadcast journalism spans more than 30 years. He currently hosts the popular "Mottek On Money" program, which airs locally on 790 KABC at 6:00 pm.

"We are thrilled to have Mr. Mottek as the Master of Ceremonies. He will bring his iconic voice and wonderfully distinct hosting style to our event," said Ahmed Enany, President & CEO of SoCalBio.

David Baltimore, PhD of Caltech (Pasadena, CA):

Nobel Prize Winner David Baltimore of Caltech will receive the 2022 SoCalBio Lifetime Achievement Award. His accomplishments as a researcher, administrator, educator, and public advocate have changed the course of natural and engineering sciences.

Dr. Baltimore's breakthrough research contributions have earned him countless honors, including the Nobel Prize in 1975 for his discovery of the role of reverse transcriptase in viral replication. Other honors, to name just a few, include the U.S. National Medal of Science in 1999, Warren Alpert Foundation Prize in 2000, and the Lasker Award in 2021.

Dr. Baltimore helped drive entrepreneurial ventures and success across Southern California since his appointment as President of Caltech in 1997. His embrace of entrepreneurship helped launch companies such as Calimmune, Immune Design, s2A Molecular, Inc., and, most recently, Appia Bio (where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board).

Dr. Baltimore also serves as a scientific partner and director at investment firms, including The Column Group and BB Biotech, where he helps guide investment toward the most promising biotechnology ventures. 

Scott Fraser, PhD, Director of Science Initiatives at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA):

Dr. Fraser's long-standing commitment to quantitative biology has fueled many advancements through the application of chemistry, engineering, and physics. He will be honored as the 2022 Outstanding Researcher for his work on imaging and molecular analyses of intact biological systems aimed at creating new medical diagnostics. He is known for developing light and magnetic resonance imaging microscopy techniques used to create new medicines. 

Dr. Fraser has worked tirelessly to promote interdisciplinary training and translational research, from his time as a PhD student at Johns Hopkins through his remarkable work at UC Irvine, Caltech and now USC. He helped found the Caltech Brain Imaging Center and Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, plus served as director of the Rosen Center for Biological Engineering. 

Since arriving at USC in the Fall of 2012, Dr. Fraser has served as a Provost Professor at Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, and the Viterbi School of Engineering.

Dr. Fraser has also served as an advisor to numerous corporations, organizations, and foundations while launching several startup companies including Clinical Micro Sensors (aka GenMark Diagnostics, acquired by Roche for $1.8 billion), Varocto Inc., and synthetic biology applications firm Camena Bioscience.

Marc Baum, PhD, President & CEO, Oak Crest Institute (Monrovia, CA):

Dr. Baum will be honored as the 2022 SoCalBio Outstanding Educator. He founded Oak Crest Institute of Science (Oak Crest) in 1998 as an innovative research and education center. In addition to conducting research in areas such as HIV prevention and COVID workplace surveillance, Oak Crest prepares the next generation of scientists by providing high school and undergraduate students with real-world research experiences.

Oak Crest provides hands-on experience to over 80 students per year, and in the last year offered virtual visits to over a thousand students and teachers. Hundreds of local students have passed through the laboratories to gain the firsthand experience needed for entry-level jobs in biotech.

Dr. Baum has collaborated with The Rose Hills Foundation, South Bay Workforce Investment Board, Los Angeles Unified School District, Pasadena City College, and Citrus College, among others, to provide students with training, internship, and mentorship opportunities. One such collaboration with the City of Monrovia launched a training program that introduces STEM concepts to high school students. Dr. Baum also created the Oak Crest Institute of Science Talent Network to connect local job seekers with local chemistry and biomedical employers.

For more information about SoCalBio's 2022 Innovation Awards Gala, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/socalbio-award-gala-2022-tickets-261687372977

SoCalBio thanks the following Innovation Awards Gala sponsors for their financial support:

• American Express
• AMI-USC
• Perkins Coie
• VWR

SoCalBio is a nonprofit, member-supported trade association that promotes bioscience research, development, manufacturing, job creation and overall economic growth in the Greater Los Angeles region. The Council's programs help local firms access capital, potential partners, and business support services. The annual SoCalBio Conference has grown to become the region's premier showcase for emerging life-science companies and technologies. SoCalBio also promotes technology transfer and workforce training, while informing policy makers and the public at-large about the benefits of the region's life-science industry. More information about SoCalBio is available at www.socalbio.org.

Contact:
ExcelPR Group (for SoCalBio)
Erik Deutsch, 323-851-2300 x112
[email protected]

SOURCE Southern California Biomedical Council