CGS-authored

Salary comparable to earnings of top med school officials



The interim president for the newly established stem cell agency will earn $389,004 a year, a salary comparable to UC medical school deans. However, some have voiced concern over the new president's salary, criticizing it as too high.


The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee hired neuroscientist Zach Hall to head the state's Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and set his salary in a unanimous vote at Tuesday's meeting.


Claire Pomeroy, executive associate dean for the UC Davis School of Medicine, serves on the committee and said she and the other members felt the salary to be appropriate for the duties demanded of this position.


"This is a huge responsibility that Dr. Hall is taking on and we need a leader who has the experience," Pomeroy said. "So we have to pay a competitive salary that pays the best and I think the public deserves the very best leadership."


In November, California voters approved Proposition 71, which allocates $3 billion in funds for stem cell research over a 10-year period.


Dr. Philip Lee, Stanford...