TGen/VARI president Dr. Jeffrey Trent appointed Foreign Trade Counselor by Luxembourg

Dr. Jeffrey M. Trent, F.A.C.M.G., a nationally recognized leader in the science of genetics related to cancer, has been appointed Foreign Trade Counselor of Luxembourg in the United States.

Dr. Trent is President and Research Director of the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, Arizona, and Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), Grand Rapids, Michigan. Both non-profit biomedical research institutes study the genetic origins of human disease and how to quickly bring new treatments to patients.

He has been a leader in promoting cooperation in science, technology, and economic development between Luxembourg and the United States. He has played a pivotal role in building the Luxembourg personalized medicine infrastructure (see www.tgen.org/news/index.cfm?newsid=1167 and www.biomedicine.lu), including the Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg and the lung cancer research and development projects with the Luxembourg National Health Research Center (CRP-Sante).

Dr. Trent holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Arizona, Tucson. Before TGen and VARI, Dr. Trent served as the founding Scientific Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Human Genome Research Institute. He has held faculty positions at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 scientific publications, and delivered hundreds of invited lectures.

He has received numerous honors and awards, and has sat on the editorial boards of a dozen scientific publications. He specializes in developing and integrating novel tools based on the Human Genome Project, that help provide information related to the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers and other complex diseases.

"I'm honored by this appointment and look forward to continuing to support the efforts to develop the biomedical knowledge-based workforce in Luxembourg," said Dr. Trent. "All of us recognize that technology fuels the global environment and clearly is shaping business and competition in new ways. The work coming out of the Human Genome project is a picture of what lies ahead, and Luxembourg seems poised to help build economic value around their growing personalized medicine programs. I look forward to trying to help be part of their success."

Dr. Trent will work with the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Offices located in San Francisco and New York.

"Luxembourg welcomes Dr. Trent to our outstanding team of Foreign Trade Counselors," said Jeannot Krecké, Luxembourg Minister of the Economy and Foreign Trade. "He has significantly assisted our Government in building relationships with the science and business communities throughout the United States, and we are very excited to welcome Dr. Trent in this new role."

Provided by The Translational Genomics Research Institute