David A. Pearce, PhD, will serve as the new Director of the Sanford Children’s Health Research Center (SCHRC) in Sioux Falls. The SCHRC’s mission is to combine world-class scientific talent with state-of-the-art technology to conquer childhood diseases. A $20 million gift in 2007 created the SCHRC which includes a location at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research located in La Jolla, CA and a site in Sioux Falls. The collaboration between the two locations will establish the basis of an integrated, world-class, academic pediatric research network. Dr. Pearce will lead the SCHRC in Sioux Falls starting this summer.
Dr. Pearce’s research focuses on juvenile Batten Disease, an incurable genetic disorder that causes a fatal protein malfunction in children. He has published more than 60 research articles on this disease, and his efforts have helped establish a basis to begin clinical trials for treatment. He has also served on numerous review panels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).