Cornell receives $2 million for stem cell research

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University, including the Ithaca and New York City medical college campuses, has received nearly $2 million in grants to conduct stem cell research, according to an announcement made by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson on Jan. 7. 

Approved by the funding committee of the Empire State Stem Cell Board, the awards – part of a total $14.5 million package distributed to 25 colleges throughout the state – are among the first given by New York state's new $600 million multi-year, stem cell research program. This investment will significantly increase New York's biomedical research capability involving stem cells.

One million dollars will support work in several colleges on the Ithaca campus, including the College of Veterinary Medicine.  “This is a major boost for our stem cell programs and will support individual projects, core facilities, and collaborative stem cell research on campus,” said Michael Kotlikoff, the Austin O. Hooey Dean of Cornell Veterinary College.  “The program brings investigators together from several colleges and includes work on stem cell biology and cancer, as well as translational projects using human embryonic stem cell lines in animal models of human disease.” 

Researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College’s Ansary Stem Cell Center for Regenerative Medicine, which received a nearly $1 millon dollar grant, will also be able to provide scientists and students with new funds to examine the prospective uses of both adult and embryonic stem cells.

“There are many scientific benefits from the use of stem cells for the study of human disease,” said Dr. Shahin Rafii, Arthur Belfer Professor of Genetic Medicine and Director of the Ansary Stem Cell Center for Regenerative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and a noted Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. “These cells have the potential to lead to the discovery of future treatments for diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and cancer, among many others.”

Cornell is favorably positioned to conduct stem cell research based on several factors, including its strong basic biology environment conducive to breakthrough biomedical research and discovery, technological innovations, and unique cross-disciplinary programs that connect top scientists in Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Weil Cornell Medical College, the College of Engineering, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The university’s cutting edge technology, facilities and training have also made possible the establishment of the Cornell Stem Cell Club in early 2007, aiming to facilitate interactions among 19 laboratories involved in various multidisciplinary stem cell-related research projects across the campus.

In collaboration with the new Cornell Life Science Initiative and leading veterinary research, Cornell’s stem cell research community will be able to provide necessary opportunities and structure for quality research activities focused on stem cells, for instance, exploring stem cells’ potential therapeutic values that can ultimately help understand medical implications for critical illnesses.