Press Releases

SACRAMENTO—State Controller Betty T. Yee today named a key appointee to the board that governs the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

CIRM was created after voters approved Proposition 71 in 2004 to accelerate stem cell treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. The institute is overseen by a 29-member governing board, the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee (ICOC), composed of patient advocates, biotechnology industry professionals, and research leaders. The Controller appoints five ICOC members.

Dr. Linda Minium Boxer brings to the ICOC more than a quarter-century of experience in hematology and oncology. A professor, vice dean, and faculty senate member at the Stanford School of Medicine, Dr. Boxer earned her M.D. and Ph.D. from the university where she now teaches.  She fills the seat held by Dr. Lloyd Minor, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, for whom she served as an alternate to the ICOC.

“Dr. Boxer’s experience will allow a seamless transition so she can immediately put her talents to work in support of the institute’s critical mission,” said Yee, the state’s chief fiscal officer and chair of the Citizens Financial Accountability Oversight Committee that oversees CIRM’s finances.

In addition to her work at Stanford University, Dr. Boxer served for 25 years as a staff physician for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Palo Alto Health Care System.  Dr. Boxer also has published five-dozen journal articles and was an invited reviewer for several others.

CIRM issued its first round of funding in 2006, with a focus on training young scientists and building new research facilities in the state. By 2009, the institute began investing in potential future therapies made possible by the initial awards.  CIRM now has approximately 300 active stem cell programs in its portfolio.

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller also safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, and has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Elected in 2014, Controller Yee is the tenth woman elected to a statewide office in California’s history. Follow the Controller on Twitter at @CAController and on Facebook at California State Controller’s Office.

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