UW-Madison biologist James Thomson is the first scientist to join the leadership of the new Morgridge Institute for Research, the private, nonprofit half of the Wisconsin Institutes for

Discovery, project officials announced Monday. Thomson will become the director of regenerative biology and a principal scientist at MIR while maintaining his faculty appointment as an anatomy professor.

“As the unequivocal leader in his field, Dr. Thomson’s commitment and contributions will be crucial to establishing our new institute as a world class research organization,” said Carl Gulbrandsen, chair of MIR’s Board of Trustees and managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Thomson became the first person to isolate and culture human embryonic stem cells in 1998, generating political and ethical debate worldwide. In November 2007, Thomson’s UW-Madison lab again published breakthrough research, this time genetically reprogramming skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells.

“A great deal has happened in the last 10 years in my life,” Thomson said. “Ten years ago, I derived human embryonic stem cells, and I physically did it with my own hands. Over the last 10 years, I’ve built up a group of other talented, young scientists.”

Thomson said working with a group was important to “accomplish tasks that no single individual can do” and that further collaboration of multidisciplinary fields was needed to compete globally, which is something the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery will offer.

Gulbrandsen said Thomson’s early commitment to the project will help attract even more world-class talent.

UW-Madison alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, who donated $50 million to fund the private half of the new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery opening in fall 2010, praised Thomson’s work.

“Wisconsin has a unique group of alumni fans. It has football fans, it has basketball fans and, quite frankly, it has research fans. Tashia and I are two of the research fans,” Morgridge said.

“We’re proud of the fact that our team is ranked traditionally in the top 25 worldwide and in terms of federal funding, usually in the top five. Our interest and donations to the university are focused on maintaining that very elevated position.” Morgridge said he and his wife were delighted Thomson is joining the project.

UW-Madison also honored the newest stem-cell finding as the “Discovery of the Year” at a celebration Monday.

Chancellor John Wiley congratulated Thomson’s lab on the “remarkable breakthrough,” and said it was a “home run” for medicine and biology.

Wiley said the greatest discoveries were those with the “broadest range of potential future applications,” noting the stem-cell discovery from Thomson’s lab likely has future applications that have yet to be imagined.