Downstate Receives Second Grant from State Stem Cell Program
Oct 2, 2008
Brooklyn, NY - SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University has been awarded a $120,000 grant to plan and develop a stem cell research group, the first step in a two-tiered process designed to create a multi-institution collaborative center. SUNY Downstate identified SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) – Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center as its partners in the venture. This is the second grant Downstate has received from NYSTEM, the New York State government’s multi-year stem cell research program.
The ultimate facility will create educational and research opportunities for both established scientists and clinicians and for students. SUNY Downstate faculty members Olcay Batuman, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, as the principal investigator, and William Brunken, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the Department of Ophthalmology, as co-principal investigator, originated the grant proposal. They will develop a comprehensive translational research program that investigates vascular stem cell pathology relating to bone marrow cancers and eye diseases.
The new grant to Downstate was among eighteen awarded statewide, totaling $2 million. They are the second set of grants awarded under New York's stem cell initiative. In January, $15 million in grants were awarded to 25 research institutions, including Downstate. The 2007-2008 state budget created the Empire State Stem Cell Trust Fund, providing up to $600 million over 11 years for stem cell research, an allocation second only to California's.
Additional information on the New York stem cell program is available at: http://stemcell.ny.gov/.
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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.