Oct. 31, 2017: State Rep. Lonnie Reed of Branford (D, District 102) was honored in Boston on Friday Oct. 27 by the prestigious Massachusetts Society for Medical Research (MSMR) as this year's "Government Leader" for her legislative work championing life science research. She was one of five awardees at the organization's annual Biomedical Research Day celebration that recognizes individuals who have made important contributions to the field of biomedical research.

Rep. Reed is the first non-Massachusetts elected official to receive MSMR's "Government Leader" award. She serves as House Chair of the legislature's Energy and Technology Committee and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Life Sciences Caucus.

"I am deeply grateful to MSMR for this unexpected honor and am proud to share it with my Bipartisan Life Sciences Caucus colleagues," Rep. Reed said. "We are dedicated to supporting medical research and development in our state that saves lives, stimulates economic development and grows jobs."

"Our members recognize, honor and thank Rep. Reed for being an avid and effective champion of life sciences research in the State of Connecticut," MSMR Board Chairman William Barbo said.

Rep. Reed is donating the stipend that comes with the award to BHcare, a non-profit headquartered in Branford that provides programs and counseling for individuals and families dealing with mental health and addiction challenges.

Rep. Reed has led efforts to grow Connecticut's bioscience industry and was part of the team that brought Jackson Labs to its Farmington facility in 2014 with help from state incentives. Jackson Labs collaborates with many start-up companies, including several in Branford, such as CORE Informatics and the Mt. Sinai Institute for Genetics Research.　In April, Rep. Reed and the Bipartisan Life Sciences Caucus hosted a forum at the Capitol showcasing microbiome research and product development in Connecticut.

The Massachusetts Society for Medical Research (MSMR) is the nation's oldest non-profit organization supporting biomedical sciences across New England. More information is available at the MSMR website here