The Jackson Laboratory recently announced the establishment of a new endowed faculty chair, The Dattels Family Chair, through a gift commitment from JAX trustee Tim Dattels and his family. Associate professor Jennifer Trowbridge, Ph.D.Researches regulation of stem cells in the blood in normal development, aging and leukemia transformation.Jennifer Trowbridge , Ph.D., whose laboratory at JAX’s Bar Harbor campus focuses on the study of cellular changes that can lead to leukemia, has been appointed as the inaugural Dattels Family Chair.
“I was impressed with Jennifer Trowbridge’s innovative research from the very first time I heard her speak at one of our Board meetings,” said Dattels, who is the newly elected chair of The Jackson Laboratory’s Board of Trustees. “My family and I are honored to establish a chair that recognizes the exceptional talents of a rising star whose research is changing the scientific landscape.”
While it was Trowbridge’s research on aging and leukemia that initially inspired Dattels, his interest in supporting her work grew when he discovered that they shared Canadian origins and an alma mater. Both Dattels and Trowbridge earned their undergraduate degrees from the University of Western Ontario.
Trowbridge, who also received her Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute before joining the JAX faculty in 2012. Her research on stem cells in the blood, which focuses on changes related to aging and the development of leukemia, has garnered numerous awards, including a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Scholar Award and the Janet Rowley Award from the International Society for Experimental Hematology. The ultimate goal for Trowbridge’s lab is to identify new targets for treating leukemia.
“I am honored to be appointed to the Dattels Family Chair,” said Trowbridge. “The Dattels family’s generous support enables our group to further innovate and pursue high-risk, high-reward science to find new and better ways to prevent and treat blood cancer.”
In announcing the new chair at a recent Board meeting, JAX president and CEO Lon CardonResponsible for the Laboratory’s global vision, strategic direction, research and operations Lon Cardon, Ph.D., FMedSci, emphasized that endowed chairs provide enduring support for faculty research and enable the Laboratory to recognize and retain world-class scientists. “Philanthropy plays a vital role in powering our work,” says Cardon. “I am grateful to Tim and his family for their philanthropic leadership and their commitment to JAX’s mission to improve human health through scientific discovery.”
The Dattels Family Chair is the 14th endowed chair established at JAX. The first three endowed chairs were created in 2014, through a gift from David and Barb Roux. Dattels credits Roux, his predecessor as chair of the JAX Board (2015-2022), with setting an example that has inspired others to raise their own philanthropic sights.
”Our family is thrilled to support the remarkable research at The Jackson Laboratory and the strong collaboration that the Trowbridge lab undertakes to accelerate and connect our science in the broader research community,” said Dattels. “Philanthropy at JAX has a powerful multiplier effect.”