The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation’s chief scientific officer William Skach, MD, will retire this summer from his role at the CF Foundation and the foundation is now actively recruiting to fill the role.
According to a press release, Skach has been involved with CF research for more than thirty years, since being inspired by the discovery of the CFTR gene in 1989 from his early days at the University of California San Francisco, to his establishment of an independent lab at the Institute for Human Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania, and throughout his 16 years at Oregon Health & Science University as professor of biochemistry and molecular biology.
“Bill’s contributions to CF science have had a tremendous impact on the lives of people with CF,” said Michael Boyle, MD, president and CEO, CF Foundation. “Today, the foundation is investing more in research than ever before. We are driven by a determined CF community, a track record of success, and a clear vision for the future: transformative therapy for all people with CF no matter what mutations they have, and a cure for cystic fibrosis.”
Looking back on how CF has changed over the course of his career, Skach said, “It is remarkable to think about the developments in CF over the past three decades and where we are today. Over the past seven years we have celebrated extraordinary developments in the treatment of CF: from advances in CFTR modulators, culminating with the FDA approval of Trikafta, to the clarity of scientific focus and momentum that we are generating on the Path to a Cure. That scientific progress, coupled with the will and determination of the CF Foundation and the CF community means we can, and will, find treatments for every person with CF and cure this disease.”
Skach will continue to serve as a scientific advisor to the foundation.
