Part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, one of the four recipients of grants from the city. Image Credit: Google Maps
Four New York City leading scientific research facilities are receiving infrastructure grants to advance innovation and public health. On January 21, 2021, Mayor de Blasio announced that Columbia University, Montefiore-Einstein, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, and Rockefeller University are the four winners of $38 million in infrastructure grants for research and development departments. These grants come as a part of LifeSci NYC, a $500 million project with the goal of establishing New York City as a public health capital.
Each of the four facilities is dedicated to forming partnerships between New York’s leading scientists and technological and pharmaceutical companies around the world. Columbia University’s Therapeutic Validation Center is using its $9 million grant to accelerate early research into new start-ups. The center will be using new technology to create new medicines to eliminate diseases. The center will be located within Columbia University’s facilities. Dr. Brent Stockwell, a professor of biological sciences and chemistry at Columbia University stated, “We anticipate that the Center will launch multiple life science companies in NYC that create transformational medicines to change the landscape of treatment for COVID-19 and other human maladies.”
Montefiore Medicine is using its $13 million grant to launch the Einstein-Montefiore Biotechnology Accelerated Research Center. The center will focus on cell, gene, and antibody therapy production and will be located on Montefiore’s Einstein campus in Morris Park. The center is to be open to early stage and established companies in need of these kinds of facilities.
New York Stem Cell Foundation will use its $6.5 million to expand its research institute located in West Midtown. The expansion will allow the facility to turn their research directly into clinic-ready drugs and treatments. The new equipment will increase the facilities production, processing, and screening capabilities. The expansion will also allow for collaborations with universities, technology companies, and pharmaceutical companies. Susan L. Solomon, founder, and CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation, stated, “Developing drugs and new treatments on human cells is critical and I am very excited that the City continues to make this a priority.”
The Rockefeller University is using its $9 million grant to convert research labs into the Tri-Institutional Translational Center for Therapeutics which will work with commercial life sciences. The facility will be working with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weil Cornell Medicine to better their growth. The facility will be located in Upper East Side. President of Rockefeller University, Richard P. Lifton stated, “By consolidating existing collaborations and providing much-needed biotech incubator space into the bargain, this new center will focus the boldest biomedical science in the world on solving today’s most challenging medical problems – while also growing the fast-emerging biotech sector in New York City.”
Mayor de Blasio stated, “As we rebuild a fairer and better city, it’s time to make New York City a global leader in pandemic response. This city will stand with the life sciences in good times and bad, and I can’t wait to see what our world-class partners will create in the years to come.”
This announcement coincides with the creation of the Pandemic Response Institute, a hub for preparing for future emergencies, and the Pandemic Response Lab, which processes COVID-19 tests for NYC Health and Hospitals.
By: Patrick McNeill (Patrick is a CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2022.)