Huntington Medical Research Institutes to Host Holiday Open House Commemorating 70th Anniversary

Milestone anniversary celebrates Pasadena-based organization's huge contribution to transforming medicine and saving millions of lives

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), a leading biomedical research organization in Southern California, is celebrating its 70^th anniversary by opening its doors to the public this Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for its Holiday Open House.

The event is free to attend (registration requested) and offers:

• Hands-on science activities for kids
• Information on HMRI’s summer 2023 education programs for high school and college students
• Talks with HMRI scientists on their latest discoveries about Alzheimer’s disease, mental illness, heart health, Covid-19 and more
• Games, music, art and food trucks

“We’re celebrating 70 years of groundbreaking science and we are not done yet,” reflected Julia E. Bradsher, PhD, MBA, president and CEO of HMRI. “We have many more important discoveries in our future as we grow and continue to develop as a leading research institution. We look forward to celebrating many more innovative discoveries in our focus areas of cardiovascular, neurovascular and neuroscience research.”

HMRI began as an outgrowth of two separate institutes: Pasadena Foundation for Medical Research, established in 1952, and the Institute of Medical Research of Huntington Memorial Hospital, founded in 1953. The establishment of a third in 1961, the Neurovascular Research Foundation, formed a triumvirate in Pasadena. After a series of mergers over the course of three decades, in 1982, HMRI as we know it today was born.

For 70 years, the research facilities have generated a multitude of leading-edge innovations that have transformed the way people around the world protect their well-being and improve their health. Some of the noteworthy innovations from HMRI include:

• Cerebrospinal fluid shunt valve system developed for hydrocephalus, “water on the brain.” The Pudenz valve system is still commonly used today.
• Retractable seatbelts invented through study of preventing head traumas in car accidents in the 1950s.
• Early research into prostate cancer cells, resulting in an immortalized cell line which is now widely used to test new prostate cancer drugs.
• Demonstrating the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) in medical practice.
• Perfecting magnetic resonance spectroscopy for diagnosing brain and heart conditions.

Currently, HMRI’s researchers are exploring new therapies and diagnostic methods that may transform the way we care for our hearts and brains.

HMRI’s mission is to advance scientific discovery through innovative biomedical research to improve health outcomes and inspire the next generation of scientists. “Within 10 years, we aim to become one of the leading biomedical research organizations in the United States,” stated Bradsher.

In addition to scientific discovery, HMRI has a long history of providing research opportunities for postdoctoral scientists and training undergraduate students in laboratory techniques.

“HMRI has welcomed postdoc and student researchers for years now,” explains Nicole Purcell, PhD, scientific director of education programs for HMRI. “We’re teaching research methods to students who are learning in a science lab for the very first time. We want HMRI to be recognized as a destination of choice for the next generation of scientists.”

Members of the media are invited to attend the holiday open house and speak with HMRI’s leading scientists about current research projects and how they see the world of medicine evolving as we approach 2023. Media may register here: https://bit.ly/HMRI70-Media.

Members of the public can register to attend the event here: https://hmri.org/70years/.

About HMRI

Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) is an independent, nonprofit organization located in Pasadena, California. Since its beginnings in 1952, HMRI research has led to the development of diagnostics, medical devices and therapies that improve the lives of millions of patients worldwide. HMRI conducts life-changing studies of the heart, the brain and the vascular intersection between the two. The institute’s scientists seek solutions to daunting cardiovascular and neurological challenges, like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, migraine and mental illness. For more information, visit HMRI.org.

Media Contact
Audrey Chittick
mPR on behalf of HMRI
audrey@mpublicrelations.com