Passage Bio Seeks Pennsylvania College Student Candidates for Second Annual Tachi Yamada Scholarship Program


  • $10,000 scholarship to be awarded to a rising junior with a life science major attending a Pennsylvania-based four-year college or university
  • Scholarship application deadline is April 1 for the initial award in the fall of 2023

PHILADELPHIA, March 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Passage Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: PASG), a clinical-stage genetic medicines company focused on developing transformative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the opening of its application process for its second annual Tachi Yamada Scholarship program.

The scholarship program is for junior students enrolled in life science programs at four-year colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and who plan to have a career in the life sciences industry. Passage Bio will select one sophomore student annually to award $10,000 in scholarship funding – $5,000 over two consecutive years to be used toward college-related expenses. Interested sophomore students have until April 1, 2023, to apply for the scholarship.

Passage Bio first announced its plans to launch the annual Tachi Yamada Scholarship Program in October 2021 to continue the legacy of Tadataka (Tachi) Yamada, M.D., a visionary biopharma industry leader who passed away in August 2021. Dr. Yamada was a co-founder of Passage Bio and served as chairman of the company’s board of directors. He had a life-long devotion to mentoring and building the next generation of scientists. Amy Wu, a neuroscience and economics student at the University of Pennsylvania, was the inaugural recipient of the Tachi Yamada Scholarship.

“The Tachi Yamada Scholarship program is a critical element of our commitment to fostering the development of individuals in Pennsylvania who are passionate about making a difference in the world through science, while honoring the legacy of Tachi and his contributions to our industry,” said William Chou, M.D., chief executive officer of Passage Bio. “By investing in these students, we are not only empowering them to reach their full potential, but also strengthening the future of the life sciences industry as a whole. I encourage all eligible students to apply.”

In addition to the financial award, the selected scholar will be matched with a Passage Bio mentor for professional growth opportunities over the two-year scholarship period.

To apply, students must be sophomores, who will be juniors in the fall of 2023, attending four-year colleges or universities in Pennsylvania and majoring in a life science discipline. They must have a cumulative unweighted grade point average of 3.0 and be a United States citizen or permanent resident of the United States or hold a U.S. student visa. The student must also write a 500-word essay as part of the application process. The official rules and application details are available on Passage Bio’s website in the Careers section at Passage Bio, Inc. – Careers. Applications must be submitted by April 1, 2023 and will be evaluated by a panel of Passage Bio employees; the winner will be selected by Passage Bio at its discretion.

About Passage Bio

Passage Bio (Nasdaq: PASG) is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company on a mission to provide life-transforming therapies for patients with CNS diseases with limited or no approved treatment options. Our portfolio spans pediatric and adult CNS indications, and we are currently advancing clinical programs in GM1 gangliosidosis and frontotemporal dementia and our preclinical pipeline, including programs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease. Based in Philadelphia, PA, our company has established a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with the renowned University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program to conduct our discovery and IND-enabling preclinical work. Through this collaboration, we have enhanced access to a broad portfolio of gene therapy candidates and future gene therapy innovations that we then pair with our deep clinical, regulatory, manufacturing and commercial expertise to rapidly advance our robust pipeline of optimized gene therapies. As we work with speed and tenacity, we are always mindful of patients who may be able to benefit from our therapies. More information is available at www.passagebio.com.

For further information, please contact:

Investors:
Stuart Henderson
Passage Bio
267.866.0114
shenderson@passagebio.com

Media:
Mike Beyer
Sam Brown Inc. Healthcare Communications
312.961.2502
MikeBeyer@sambrown.com