SUNY Downstate to Receive Funds from Stem Cell Initiative
Jan 9, 2008
Brooklyn, NY - SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is among 25 institutions statewide receiving funds from the state’s new $600 million-dollar initiative to study stem cells. The first outlay announced by Governor Spitzer is $14.5 million, to be divided in varying amounts among the recipients.
The $192,267 award to SUNY Downstate will support stem cell research infrastructure at Downstate – Brooklyn’s only academic medical center – including upgrading cell sorting, the transgenic core facility, confocal imaging, stem cell culture, and the study of stem cell gene expression.
Drs. Gladys Teitelman, professor of anatomy and cell biology and the grant’s principal investigator, developed the grant proposal with Dr. Christopher Roman, assistant professor of microbiology, and Dr. William Brunken, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology.
In addition, funds will help support Dr. Teitelman’s research on the use of stem cells to treat diabetes.
SUNY Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, a School of Graduate Studies, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a Public Health Degree Program, University Hospital at Downstate, and a growing Advanced Biotechnology Park and Biotechnology Incubator.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.