Category: News

BNMC, Inc. Now Accepting Applications for Seed Capital Accelerator Program, Sponsored by First Niagara Bank Program Designed to Support New and Growing Start-ups on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, News8 Comments on BNMC, Inc. Now Accepting Applications for Seed Capital Accelerator Program, Sponsored by First Niagara Bank Program Designed to Support New and Growing Start-ups on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, July 22, 2014

Contact:
Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.
716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

 

BNMC, Inc. Now Accepting Applications for Seed Capital Accelerator Program, Sponsored by First Niagara BankProgram Designed to Support New and Growing Start-ups on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus 

(Buffalo, NY – July 22, 2014) The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is now accepting wp-contentlications for its Seed Capital Accelerator Program, sponsored by First Niagara Bank.  First Niagara has provided funding to support new and existing start-ups that are affiliated with the BNMC’s Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center or entrepreneurship programs.

The new fund will provide up to $10,000 in seed funding to enable start-ups to overcome short term business obstacles, and to reach project milestones that are designed to get products and services to market quicker – thus yielding measurable longer term returns on investment.  Grants and loans will be awarded to businesses that have sustainable growth potential, a legitimate funding need, and are making a contribution to the social and business communities on and around the Medical Campus.

“This generous funding from First Niagara will allow us to further support the entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Medical Campus,” said Vic Nole, director of new business development for the BNMC, Inc. “We look forward to helping even more start-ups move from ideation to incubation, creating jobs and re-building our community.”

Program Description

BNMC, Inc. will make available grants or loans to eligible business owners under the program for the following purposes:

  • To purchase equipment or other capital goods.
  • For operating expenses that are directly related to a specific revenue generating project.
  • To acquire inventory required to satisfy a signed purchase order.
  • To pay up to 50% of a new hire’s salary for up to 90 days.
  • To pay for education, mentoring, or training for entrepreneurs and business owners that is directly related to the creation of a new business or the growth of an existing business within the Community.

The program will be directed to companies that are located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, or to companies (or entrepreneurs) that are being assisted with their formation and growth plans by the business development office at the BNMC, Inc.  Specifically, grants will be provided to either:

  • Revenue generating companies that sell goods and services,
  • Community building companies that provide goods or services to persons on or near the Medical Campus, or
  • Companies that need capital to deliver on projects for BNMC member institutions.

For program wp-contentlications please contact:

Vic Nole, Director of New Business Development, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

vnole@bnmc-old.local.

Learn more at bnmc-old.local/seedcapital

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. The BNMC, Inc. serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community.

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BNMC Update 2014

by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Energy, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, Member Institution(s), News, Transportation7 Comments on BNMC Update 2014

The Connections that Make a Community

photo 2On Thursday, June 12th, Bill Joyce, chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. board of directors, and Matt Enstice, president & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., presented an update on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.  The update focused on where the  BNMC stands and its future with a strong emphasis on the current initiatives underway that impact the local community at large.

the Medical Campus is home to a thriving medical community, cutting-edge research, world-class health care facilities, and both established and emerging private sector companies. Leveraging those assets, the BNMC, Inc. has an ambitious vision to integrate energy, transportation, food systems, entrepreneurship, housing, education and jobs that will change Buffalo’s future.

 

photo 4The BNMC, Inc. focuses on: Entrepreneurship, Jobs and Workforce, Transportation, Energy, Neighborhoods, Housing and Healthy Communities. Learn more about the BNMC Initiatives.

View the BNMC Update 2014.

 

Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Board of Directors – See more at: https://bnmc-old.local/about/board-of-directors/#william%20l.%20joyce

Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Board of Directors – See more at: https://bnmc-old.local/about/board-of-directors/#william%20l.%20joyce

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Partners Host Career Forum for Residents in Surrounding Neighborhoods June 18th Forum Features Campus Employers and Training Organizations

by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Event, Fruit Belt, Homepage, News9 Comments on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Partners Host Career Forum for Residents in Surrounding Neighborhoods June 18th Forum Features Campus Employers and Training Organizations

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, June 16, 2014
Contact:
Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.
716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

 MEDIA ADVISORY

 

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Partners Host Career Forum for

Residents in Surrounding Neighborhoods

June 18th Forum Features Campus Employers and Training Organizations

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. and its partners are hosting a career pathways forum on Weds., June 18th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. for the residents in the neighborhoods around the Medical Campus. The forum will be an opportunity to learn about the types of jobs available on the Medical Campus, meet Campus employees, get useful tips, and ask questions. Local training and workforce organizations will also be on hand to help identify programs that can help employment seekers strengthen their skills and match them with career opportunities on the Medical Campus.

The forum program includes a presentation by BNMC member institutions about career pathways within their organizations and employees of these institutions who live in the neighborhoods around the Medical Campus from 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. There will be tabling and networking with participating employers and training organizations from 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 – 8:00 p.m.

Participating organizations include: Kaleida Health, University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Buffalo Medical Group, Unyts, UB Educational Opportunity Center, ECMC, Zeptometrix, Buffalo Urban League, Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, Veterans One-Stop Center, Hispanics United, Health Sciences Charter School, Center for Employment Opportunities, and many more.

Today, 12,000 people work on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, at 10 major institutions and 75 private and public companies, a number that will grow to nearly 17,000 by 2017. The Medical Campus is a vibrant, 120-acre campus located just north of downtown Buffalo, with 6.5 million square feet of research, development, and clinical space today, and nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. more under construction.

WHO:  Targeted to residents in the area surrounding the Medical Campus, including the Fruit Belt, Allentown, Downtown, Linwood, Cold Springs and Masten neighborhoods.

 

WHEN:Wednesday, June 18th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Program runs from 5:30 – 6:45 p.m.

 

WHERE: dig, a new co-work space in the Thomas R. Beecher Jr., Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY

 

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. The BNMC, Inc. serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community.

 

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Mayor to Announce Launch of Bicycle Master Plan at Bike to Work Day Breakfast on the BNMC

by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Environment, GO BNMC, Homepage, News, Sustainability, Transportation4 Comments on Mayor to Announce Launch of Bicycle Master Plan at Bike to Work Day Breakfast on the BNMC

Contact:Justin Booth
Executive Director, GObike Buffalo
(716) 220-1454
justin@gobikebuffalo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 Mayor to Announce Launch of Bicycle Master Plan at Bike to Work Day Breakfast on the BNMC

[Buffalo, NY] – On Friday, May 16th at 8:30am Mayor Byron Brown will join GObike Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) at a Bike to Work Day breakfast (927 Washington St) to announce the launch of the city’s development of a Bicycle Master Plan. The Bicycle Master Plan will be a document that will outline a network of bicycle lanes and paths prioritized for investment through community buy-in which will detail Buffalo’s commitment to becoming a premier bicycle friendly city.

In the past, Mayor Brown committed to adding 10 miles of bike lanes a year; a commitment he has honored to its fullest and continues to do so with complete street projects this year including Pearl Street, Niagara Street and Ohio Street among others. When asked why he endorses the Bicycle Master Plan, the mayor commented that, “Making bicycling and walking an integral part of life in Buffalo will not only benefit the city both financially and environmentally but will improve the health of our citizens.”

Businesses will also be pleased with the announcement that more bicycle racks will be available free of charge through the Mayor’s bicycle rack request form. The process is simple and business owners need only to place the request with the city by calling 311 or completing the form, which can be found here: http://www.city-buffalo.com/wp-contentlications/bikestandreq/default.aspx

Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo stated, “Thanks to the city’s consistent efforts, Buffalo has been awarded a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly City by the League of American Cyclists. This accolade demonstrates the success of Mayor Brown’s commitment of becoming a bicycle friendly city encouraging improved safety and accessibility of bicycling in Buffalo with the goal of being awarded Platinumin the future. The development and implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan will further lead the city toward this goal.”

The Bike to Work Day breakfast will be held at 927 Washington St., the future location of the GO Zone, a new project of the BNMC, Inc. The development of a robust multi-modal transportation and parking system is critically important on the growing, dense, urban Medical Campus. As one of the fastest growing employment centers in WNY and with a projected employee base of 17,000 by 2017, there is a need to ensure ample parking for patients and visitors, while creating sustainable and efficient access and mobility options for employees, partners and neighbors. The latest development is the GO Zone, a transportation resource center and bicycle commuter hub that will be managed by GObike.

“We are proud to have worked with Go Bike Buffalo for a number of years to support their work in improving infrastructure to make our campus and surrounding neighborhoods more bicycle and pedestrian friendly,” said Matthew K. Enstice, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Working with strong community partners like GoBike, Buffalo CarShare, the City and GBNRTC as well as the FTA, NYSERDA and the NYS Department of Transportation, we are creating increased opportunities for alternative transportation on and around the Medical Campus, improving access to job opportunities, and building a healthier community.”

The Bike to Work breakfast was the culmination of the city’s first Bike to Work week challenge, hosted by GObike Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., for employees and residents on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, downtown, the Fruit Belt, Allentown, and Linwood neighborhoods; and Larkinville. Sponsorship was provided by Campus Wheelworks and Mobile Pharmacy Solutions.

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More about GObike Buffalo

Through advocacy efforts, infrastructure improvements and community programs, GObike Buffalo strives to make positive impacts on our environment, community, health and economy by making Buffalo a great place for bicycling. Visit us on the web at GObikeBuffalo.org.

More about Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is a consortium of the region’s premier health care, life sciences research, and medical education institutions, all located on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo, New York. The BNMC is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship. BNMC member institutions are the University at Buffalo, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Olmsted

Center for Sight, Upstate New York Transplant Services, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community.  bnmc-old.local

More about the GO Zone

The GO Zone, located directly behind the NFTA Allen/Medical Campus Metro Rail Station on Washington Street, is an under-construction adaptive reuse project that will transform a vacant historic building into an alternative transportation hub.  Funded through a cost-sharing agreement with NYSERDA and the FTA, the Go Zone will include an indoor bicycle parking center, a community bike workshop operated by GObike Buffalo, and a transportation resource center where employees and residents can come to learn more about the transportation services and programs available to them.  The GO Zone will also be a major Buffalo CarShare and BikeShare hub.  Phase 1 of the GO ZONE will open this summer.

First Niagara Announces $500,000 Business Development Fund to Highlight Company’s $4.0 Million Investment in Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Investment Opportunities, News5 Comments on First Niagara Announces $500,000 Business Development Fund to Highlight Company’s $4.0 Million Investment in Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

— Bank will make funds available to boost community development and encourage small business creation and growth, including $100,000 in funding that has yet to be distributed —

First Niagara President and CEO Gary Crosby today announced the bank is providing $500,000 in funding for start-up businesses and community redevelopment initiatives on or near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). First Niagara has committed $500,000, of which $400,000 has been designated to date.

The balance of First Niagara’s investment, $100,000, will be awarded to area not-for-profit or other potential partner organizations being sought to administer the funds to entrepreneurs and start-ups on the BNMC and in the surrounding Fruit Belt, Allentown and West Side neighborhoods. Local organizations already designated to administer funding from First Niagara include:

  • Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. – $100,000 to support entrepreneurs it assists through its business development office on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
  • Buffalo Urban League – $100,000 loan fund for minority and women owned start-up businesses on or around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
  • University at Buffalo Office of Economic Development – $100,000 for start-up business on or around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that sell goods and services outside the region or for companies that directly support the Medical Campus community
  • Westminster Economic Development Initiative – $100,000 to support its microloan program targeting West Side businesses, including assistance to immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs through its West Side Bazaar business incubator

“First Niagara is committed to being at the forefront of the renaissance taking place in Western New York and on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus,” said Buford Sears, First Niagara Buffalo Market Executive. “We are proud to enhance and accelerate the development of the Campus and support the innovation and growth taking place there. We are committed to the revitalization of this section of our community that will soon become a world recognized leader in life sciences research, medical education and healthcare services.”

The First Niagara Foundation has provided vital support for not-for-profit entities on and around the Campus for many years.  First Niagara’s investment in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and surrounding area, since 2009, has totaled $4.0 million.

“First Niagara continues to demonstrate a real commitment to actively being a part of Buffalo’s growth,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “The Business Development Fund will provide local small businesses with the sought after resources to help new companies get off the ground and take existing ones to the next level.  This investment in the Medical Campus helps sustain momentum along the growing corridor and provides quality job opportunities for local residents.”

Organizations interested in wp-contentlying to administer the remaining $100,000 in grant funds to entrepreneurs looking to start-up businesses on or around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus should contact Tony Alessi, Director, First Niagara Specialized Banking Operations and Support Services, at 716-819-5549 or tony.alessi@fnfg.com.

For more details on how the selected organizations will allocate their funds, please log on to www.firstniagara.com/BusinessDevelopmentFund

 

About First Niagara

 First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank with wp-contentroximately 410 branches, $38 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and wp-contentroximately 5,800 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.

BNMC, Inc. Awarded $1 Million from NYSERDA to Develop Green Commons

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Energy, Environment, Model Energy Home, News4 Comments on BNMC, Inc. Awarded $1 Million from NYSERDA to Develop Green Commons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2013

For more information:

Kari Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.

716-218-7517 or kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

 

BNMC, Inc. Awarded $1 Million from NYSERDA to Develop Green Commons

 

(Buffalo, NY) The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC), in partnership with National Grid, was recently awarded $1 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop the BNMC Green Commons. The Green Commons, located at 927 -937 Washington Street, will involve the adaptive reuse of three historic buildings located adjacent to the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA Metro Rail Station and the site of the soon to be constructed University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.  The buildings will showcase sustainable best practices in land use, energy, and transportation.

“The Green Commons is a manifestation of the programs and partnerships that BNMC has been developing over the past few years around alternative transportation and energy,” said Bill Smith, director of campus access for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Thanks to this generous award from NYSERDA, we will be able to create a unique, highly accessible, and sustainable complex of facilities that provide a number of important services for the campus and community.”

The design and construction of the Commons will follow low-impact development principles, including energy efficiencies, utilizing renewable energy sources, and featuring on-site storm water management.

A major component of the project involves the creation of an Integrated Mobility Hub (“the Hub”) where employees and residents can access and learn about an array of alternative transportation services in a centralized and highly accessible location.  The Hub will be home to a large indoor bike parking facility and community bike workshop operated by GObike Buffalo; Buffalo CarShare vehicles and Buffalo BikeShare bicycles; as well as an outreach and education center for the GO Buffalo transportation initiative.  The mission of GO Buffalo (a collaboration of GObike Buffalo, Buffalo CarShare, and BNMC) is to develop a model toolkit of effective policies, programs, systems and environments that promote the use of alternative transportation modes (including transit, bicycling, carpooling and walking) throughout the city and region.

Another large component of the BNMC Green Commons will be Smart Home Buffalo, an initiative of energizeBNMC, a Medical Campus-wide partnership with National Grid, to create a model energy home that demonstrates how to make energy improvements to existing buildings practical and tangible. Visitors will learn about energy creation and delivery, consumption, conservation and what is in store for the future of energy.

“We’ve worked very hard to develop an integrated and innovative energy strategy for the BNMC, and this grant will help all the partners move that strategy along,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, regional executive for National Grid.  “National Grid and the BNMC want to take what is learned and implemented on the campus and make it available more broadly.  The Green Commons will help the campus meet its long-term energy goals, and will also serve as an education tool and model for the larger community.”

The project will also involve additional commercial and gathering space that will serve both the Campus and surrounding communities.

Learn more about other sustainability initiatives taking place on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus at bnmc-old.local.

 

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are more than 60 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. bnmc-old.local

 

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UB Breaks Ground for New Downtown Medical School

by BNMCin Homepage, News

© 2013 University at Buffalo | Douglas Levere
© 2013 University at Buffalo | Douglas Levere

The University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday, October 15,2013 at Main and High streets on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

During the groundbreaking ceremony on the BNMC representatives of the university; public officials, including Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo; and community members hailed the project as a milestone in UB’s history and in the city’s efforts to revitlaize itself as a destination for world-class health care.

The new downtown medical school is a vital component of the university’s UB 2020 plan – it’s a breakthrough plan in the university’s history and in the city’s efforts to reinvent itself as a destination for world-class health care.

The 540,000 sq. ft. complex will attract outstanding scientists, physician-scientists, clinicians and medical students – creating 100 new faculty positions and increasing the class size of its medical school from 140 to 180 students. The new school will also meet the growing needs for innovative, high quality, high-demand medical care in Western New York.

The new complex, designed by architects HOK (Helmuth, Obata & Kassabaum), will have a light-filled, seven-story glass atrium connected by the two L-shaped structures, and will include spaces for spaces for laboratories, education facilities and collaboration. The space will also include advanced simulation centers for general patient care, surgical and robotic surgery training, and state-of-the art laboratory space.

The medical school is expected to transform Western New York into a major destination for innovative medical care and research and be a major contributor to 3,000-plus new jobs on the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus. The $375 million facility is projected to open in Fall 2016.

University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Layout:

Floors 1-2: medical education, community corridor, public outreach programs (such as the UB Mini Medical School) and NFTA-Metro rail station

Floors 3-5: state-of-the-art research facilities

Floors 3-7: administrative offices, academic departments

Floor 6: Behling Simulation Center, Clinical Competency Center and dean’s suite

Floor 7: gross anatomy lab, surgical skills and robotic surgery

UB 3

For more info: http://medicine.buffalo.edu/new-medical-school/quick-facts.html

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus To Open Coworking Space

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, News

dig fb
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2013                

For more information:
Contact Kari Bonaro, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local, 716-218-7157, 202-904-7034 (mobile)

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus To Open Coworking Space

dig Designed as Part of  BNMC’s Progression of Resources to Support Local Entrepreneurs 

(BUFFALO – September 24, 2013) The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. announced today that it is opening a new coworking space in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street. Dubbed dig, it is yet another step in fostering entrepreneurship, creativity and collaboration. The space is designed for those in the early stages of developing a business or an idea.

dig stands for design innovation garage, a play on both the location – a former loading dock in the renovated Trico Products Corp., building, complete with a glass garage door overlooking the Medical Campus – and also on the move toward a more design-centric entrepreneurial culture.  This co-working community will represent a range of creative, technical, and operational industries, driving the creation of new possibilities, new collaborations, and new partnerships.

“dig complements the highly successful Innovation Center that provides office space and amenities for growing companies. Opening dig ties directly to the Governor’s vision of supporting entrepreneurial culture across the state,” said Matthew K. Enstice, president & chief executive officer of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “dig will offer critical pieces needed by those with a young idea or business – work space, support, mentoring, and collaboration to get their business off the ground, creating more jobs and spurring the economy in our region.”

“One of our goals at the BNMC is to build a community of changemakers. We believe that hwp-contentens through collaboration and innovation, and what better way to do that than creating a co-working space for people who work on the Medical Campus or those who want to be a part of what’s hwp-contentening here,” said Patrick J. Whalen, chief operating officer of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “dig will not only be a space to work from, but also a hub of information to help cultivate this community – hosting networking events, seminars, and community activities. “

Omar Khan, associate professor and chair of the University at Buffalo’s Department of Architecture, was integral in the conception and design of dig.

“I have been at a loss as to how to keep some of my best students around Buffalo after graduation,” said Khan. “Most are drawn to other cities that give them the creative vibe they cherish. To me, Buffalo is full of creative people but it lacks exciting workspaces where they can mingle and share ideas. dig provides such an alternative workspace that is visually exciting and socially dynamic. It is the type of design environment where young and old can collaborate on innovative solutions to globally pressing problems.”

The design team that created dig consists of faculty from the Department of Architecture and undergraduate and graduate students from the Situated Technologies Research Group: Prof. Omar Khan, Prof. Laura Garofalo, Michael Kirschner, John Geisler, Kathryn Hobert, Philip Gusmano, Joseph Swerdlin and Nicole Halstead.

dig will have “entrepreneurs-in-residence” on hand during the day to help members working on various projects, as well as a dig Curator on staff to help facilitate networking among members and develop programming for the space. dig members will be “announced” when they arrive on a large screen with details about what they are working on and/or their expertise to encourage networking. The space will be outfitted with large tables and chairs, lounge-type seating with couches and chairs, space for private calls and meetings, lockers and mailboxes, and a café.

There will be an wp-contentlication process to join the co-work space. Anyone is eligible to wp-contently, although membership preference will be given to those working toward social innovation. The introductory rates will range from a daily rate of $15 to all-access monthly rates of $100.

“We view this as an affordable option for entrepreneurs currently working at home, start-up companies looking to be a part of a larger community, families of patients looking for a place to work while visiting loved ones at the hospitals on the Medical Campus, a site for satellite offices – anyone looking for an environment to help foster productivity and success,” adds Whalen.

“We are excited to help in the development of dig, not only as the hip place to be for co-working, but also the place where collaboration and shared resources lead to greater creative problem-solving,” said Rob Wynne, executive creative director of Wynne Creative Group, and tenant in the Innovation Center. “Plus it resides in the city’s hot spot for innovation – the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The area is ripe for this kind of workspace model.”

“We’re sharing cars and bikes, so it was only a matter of time before we shared space, and the Medical Campus is a perfect place to do it,” according to Creighton Randall, executive director of Buffalo CarShare.

dig members will receive complimentary memberships for CarShare and BikeShare in partnership with GO BNMC, the medical campus’ initiative to make it easier for employees to choose alternatives to driving alone.

The primary membership benefit is unlimited access to really innovative people. Members receive varying amenities depending on their level, ranging from high speed wifi and color copiers, to access to the Innovation Center’s fitness center, to conference room space and free coffee.

The Innovation Center is already home to 43 companies, ranging in size from one to 50 employees.

Learn more at digbuffalo.org and like us on facebook.

 

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space housing life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. There are currently 43 companies located in the building and all but three are still operated by their founder.

The Innovation Center has received funding through New York State’s Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund Grant, RestoreNY, National Grid, the John R. Oishei Foundation, NYSERDA, and the U.S. Small Business Administration through a grant secured by Congressman Brian Higgins.

The Innovation Center is owned and operated by the BNMC, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, their 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are more than 60 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. The Campus has an annual economic impact of $1.5 billion on the region. The Medical Campus consists of more than 6 million square feet of research, clinical, and support space.  bnmc-old.local

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New York Times Features Buffalo & BNMC

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Construction, Homepage, News5 Comments on New York Times Features Buffalo & BNMC

“New construction, ambitious plans and fresh optimism” is the pull quote that The New York Times reporter Keith Schneider used for emphasis in his article titled “Once Just a Punchline, Buffalo Fights Back” which compliments Buffalo on its economic growth. The article, published on July 30th, showcased some of Buffalo’s recent accomplishments, including those on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The article offered a positive outlook on our city’s progress and its future. Schneider highlights the BNMC’s ability to be innovative, attract business, generate employment opportunities, and create a positive effect on neighboring communities.
“Brendan R. Mehaffy, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning, said the Buffalo Niagara Medical campus was encouraging the construction of new hotels, retail space and luxury residential development. Home prices in the neighborhoods closest to the campus have risen 15 percent in the last two years, according to the city’s latest real estate figures.”

“the Medical Campus now employs 12,000 people, with possibly thousands more once another phase of development is finished about four years from now.”

“The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus embraced a strategy adopted by other postindustrial cities, embarking on projects in clumps rather than in large endeavors.”

The article captured the attention of locals & ex-pats around the globe. Follow up stories on the article were written by local news outlets WBFO, channel 2 and channel 7.

To read the articles mentioned in this post, please visit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/realestate/commercial/once-a-punch-line-buffalo-fights-back.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/221690/37/NY-Times-Article-Creates-Buzz-About-Buffalos-Economic-Development

http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/Buffalo-Highlighted-in-New-York-Times-Article-217861991.html

http://news.wbfo.org/post/ny-times-article-highlights-buffalo-s-new-growth

UB Medical School Launches Community Magazine

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News

UB Medicine will chronicle transformations in WNY health care, including the school’s move downtown

The University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has launched a new magazine to inform the community about the school’s pivotal role in medical education, research and advanced patient care in the region.

The inaugural issue of UB Medicine, published this week, provides an overview of the historic changes underway in the school and the ways in which UB and its health care partners are transforming Buffalo’s medical-science landscape.

It features articles about:

  • The new UB medical school to be built on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
  • The new UB Clinical and Translational Research Center and how it has helped position Buffalo as a leader in biomedical research
  • The nine nationally prominent medical educators and scientists recently recruited to the medical school to chair departments; and
  • How the medical school, under the leadership of Dean Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences, is working with health care partners in the community to create a more efficiently integrated health care system for Western New York.

To read a pdf version of the magazine, click here http://bit.ly/11W1iJL.

“These developments represent change on an order of magnitude few in our generation have known and provide a unique opportunity for our entire community to take part in an initiative that will benefit our region and its medical school long into the future,” says Cain.

“UB Medicine will keep our alumni and community wp-contentrised of this collaborative effort and serve as a way to chronicle and celebrate its many milestones.”

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

UB, Kaleida Win Green Construction Award

by BNMCin Construction, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Sustainability
UB Reporter Story: Published June 20, 2013

The new medical building in downtown Buffalo shared by UB and Kaleida Health received two honors at a local construction awards ceremony.

The 11th annual “Brick by Brick” awards, presented by Buffalo Business First, recognized Kaleida’s Gates Vascular Institute and UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center, which occupy the same footprint at the burgeoning Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The $291-million building, a significant step in UB’s effort to relocate its medical school downtown, won the Golden Brick award, which is essentially the ceremony’s building of the year award.

Kaleida occupies the building’s lower floors, which are dedicated to the surgical and interventional management of cardiac, vascular and neurological conditions, as well as a 16-bed highly specialized intensive care unit and a 62-bed short-stay unit.

UB is using its portion of the building to expand its focus on translating basic medical research into new medical breakthroughs, innovative treatments and new economic opportunities.

The building also took the “Best Green Project” award.

The UB portion was designed to be certified gold under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. It has an array of sustainability features that minimize how much energy the building consumes and make use of natural light.

Additionally, the building is located near mass transit systems and is composed of materials from local sources.

UB last year received two “Brick by Brick” awards: one for Barbara and Jack Davis Hall, the new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences building, and the other for the William R. Greiner Residence Hall, a sophomore dormitory.

New UB Educational Opportunity Center Location Opens

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Member Institution(s), News

The new 68,000-square-foot, $26 million University at Buffalo (UB) Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) located at 555 Ellicott Street will officially open on Friday, June 14. The unveiling of the state-of-the-art facility will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the state-of-the-art building beginning at 10 a.m.
Offering educational, life-changing educational services,  the EOC serves students lacking traditional educational resources through its training center located within the new building. Connected to UB Downtown Gateway building at 77 Goodell Street (the former M. Wile building) via a 5,000-square-foot connector, the EOC also provides academic and vocational programming for the various health fields expected to be in great demand in the community, especially on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

In its 40th year “serving our community through Tuition-Free innovative academic and vocational training programs leading to gainful employment,” the EOC has a thriving group of alumni and current students, dedicated faculty and staff, and an ongoing commitment to help residents of the Buffalo community achieve their educational and career goals.

Programs include the: Registered Medical Assistant Program; Certified Dental Assisting Program; Medical Billing and Coding Program; Medical Clinical Lab Technician Program; Electronic Health Records Program; Certified Nurse Assistant Review Classes; and more. For more information about the programs offered, click here.



The opening of EOC is another milestone in UB’s expansion in downtown Buffalo. In September, UB opened its Clinical and Translational Research Center in the joint UB-Kaleida Health building at Goodrich and Ellicott Streets. The new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is expected to open on the Medical Campus in 2016.

First NYS Food Policy Council Formed to Improve Erie County Food System

by BNMCin Community, Healthy Communities, News
The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities-Buffalo partnership, a national initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation administered by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., is thrilled to be a part of forming the first food policy council in New York State. This has been a goal of the HKHC partners for several years and we are so hwp-contenty to see our work come to fruition, thanks to the hard work of many within the City of Buffalo and Erie County. Below is the press release issued by Sean Mulligan in Councilmember Rivera's office. 

To increase access to nutritious and healthy foods, the Erie County Board of Health has formed the Food Policy Council (FPC) of Buffalo and Erie County. Through a unanimous vote, the Board established the FPC in May 2013. The first of its kind in New York State, the FPC will act as an advisory resource for the implementation of innovative wp-contentroaches to establish better food systems for all municipalities throughout Erie County.
SummitAdvocating for the need of such a Council, food system partners garnered additional support from local policymakers and other stakeholders at the 2011 Buffalo Food Policy Summit. When national food policy experts attended the Summit to assess the state of and make recommendations on how to improve the area's food system, one of the recommendations was to create a food policy council. As a subcommittee of the Board, the FPC is a direct result of the work done by the food policy council steering committee put together by city of Buffalo officials in 2012.

The expertise of the FPC will advise decision makers on issues ranging from obesity and limited food access to economic development options. It will also help to establish local food procurement requirements and increasing opportunities to purchase food grown right here in Erie County.

There are many processes, stakeholders, regulations and resources that are involved with the production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food. Policies can address regulation, sustainability and physical environment challenges that many residents face, preventing them from having healthy food options. Policies also help to establish healthy communities.

Members of the FPC will be named later this summer. The FPC will most likely comprise of experts from the food system, including farmers, distributors, retailers, consumer advocates, and representatives from government departments that have the potential to impact the food system, which typically include the departments of health, economic development, and planning.

The FPC was created after much preparation and support by many contributors, including the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo; W.D. Henry & Sons Farm; University of Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning; Good Earth, Inc; Healthy Kids- Healthy Communities Partnership, a program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Oles Family Farm; Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County; Buffalo City Councilmembers Michael LoCurto and David Rivera; Be Healthy Institute; Dash’s Market; Erie County Department of Environment and Planning & Department of Health; and the Massachusetts Avenue Project.

The FPC looks to convene its first meeting later this summer. If interested in participating, please contact: Sean Mulligan, 716-851-5125, smulligan@city-buffalo.com

Space Growing Scarce at a Medical Campus Seeking its Niche – Buffalo News Story

by BNMCin Attractions, Campus-wide, Construction, Homepage, Innovation Center, News

Fast-growing center seeks its place in the crowded biomedical sector

As the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus works to overcome the region’s reputation as a high-tax, Rust Belt destination, it is already attracting enough tenants to be outgrowing its footprint, with two million square feet of space already added and another two million square feet planned by 2016. From left, electric cars charge in the parking lot across from the Innovation Center. Michelle Roti, a research technician, adds antibiotics to a growth media for cells at Tartis/Aging. Tivona Renoni, from GO Bike Buffalo, left, and Henry Raess work in the Innovation Center.

(Photos from The Buffalo News)

Published: 06/8/2013, 7:15 PM

As the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus works to overcome the region’s reputation as a high-tax, Rust Belt destination, it is already attracting enough tenants to be outgrowing its footprint, with two million square feet of space already added and another two million square feet planned by 2016. From left, electric cars charge in the parking lot across from the Innovation Center. Michelle Roti, a research technician, adds antibiotics to a growth media for cells at Tartis/Aging. Tivona Renoni, from GO Bike Buffalo, left, and Henry Raess work in the Innovation Center. Matthew Masin/Buffalo News

By Stephen T. Watson | News Staff Reporter | @buffaloscribe

The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest medical campus in the world, with 106,000 employees working in 290 buildings spread over an area 50 percent larger than Darien Lake theme park.

The powerhouse University of Pittsburgh pulled in $127 million in National Institutes of Health research grants this year, eight times the University at Buffalo’s total.

And the Miami Health District generates a $3 billion annual economic impact for Miami-Dade County in South Florida.

Skeptics wonder how the younger, and far smaller, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus can carve out a similar niche in the nation’s crowded and highly competitive biomedical sector, while overcoming the region’s high-tax, Rust Belt reputation in order to recruit scientists, doctors and entrepreneurs.

But experts contend Buffalo is not too puny or too far behind the other centers, and the Buffalo Niagara campus will succeed if it leverages its advantages of strong community support, collaborative decision-making and proximity to Southern Ontario.

“I get some rolling eyes when I say, ‘Buffalo’s doing a terrific job’,” said Charlie Dilks, a consultant and former president of the Association of University Research Parks. “They say, ‘Buffalo’s a dead city.’ I say, ‘No, it’s not.’

“That’s from people who haven’t been there and haven’t seen what’s going on. Unfortunately, it takes a long time for reputations to change.”

Other cities have found that a robust medical campus generates an array of benefits, from boosting health care, improving medical education, attracting research funds and creating jobs by taking innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace. That’s why cities, health care providers and universities pool resources.

“That’s what an academic medical center does,” said Candace S. Johnson, deputy director of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, citing the revenue generated at Pitt, where she previously worked. “It would be fantastic if we had that.”

The 11-year-old Buffalo Niagara campus is growing quickly, with two million square feet of space – or about 10 Walmart Supercenters – added in the past two years and another two million square feet planned by 2016. Employment on site will grow from 12,000 to 17,000 by then.

But the land-locked, 120-acre campus is starting to feel a space squeeze, with an Innovation Center that houses young companies nearly filled. Campus officials are thinking vertically and planning construction of a new center on top of a parking ramp to make better use of space.

“We can’t build five-story buildings anymore. We have to maximize the site,” said Patrick J. Whalen, the campus’ chief operating officer.

Life-sciences jobs

Other cities may have much bigger medical campuses, but the biomedical field is a crowded one, and the industry is big enough – and specialized enough – that no single region or institution can dominate, according to Simon J. Tripp, senior director of the technology partnership practice for Battelle, a global research and development organization.

The nation has about 125 academic medical centers, including Buffalo, and all are trying to build a life-sciences economy from the research they perform, Tripp said.

“The pie is so incredibly large that even a small slice, particularly for a community the size of Buffalo, can be a pretty significant economic engine,” he said.

The successful medical campuses have strong leadership, are treated as a community priority and their member institutions play nice with each other, said Dilks, the industry consultant. “I don’t think you’re too late to the game at all,” he said of Buffalo.

The hard part, Tripp added, is creating a “comprehensive innovation ecosystem,” with sufficient venture capital and veteran leadership to build and support a network of startups.

The region needs to capitalize on its strengths as a border community with an educated workforce and low cost of living, experts said, while finding a niche in a field such as genomics or cancer research.

“You get to where you’re recognized as a center of excellence in something,” said Thomas A. Kucharski, president and CEO of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. “I think all that is starting to take hold on the medical campus. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time.”

Collaboration models

The medical campus organization – which represents UB, Roswell Park, Kaleida Health and other institutions – is a model of collaboration that followed less-successful efforts in the 1980s and ’90s.

“I think people were ready,” said Thomas R. Beecher Jr., an attorney who headed the medical corridor planning effort in the early 2000s.

Local organizers extensively studied the best practices at other centers and research parks.

“Tom Beecher said, ‘No sense reinventing the wheel. Let’s steal shamelessly from other places,’ ” Whalen recalled.

The Buffalo team learned, for example, the organization that runs the vast Texas Medical Campus makes enough money from the 27,500 parking spaces it owns to cover its overhead costs. Now the entity that runs the Buffalo campus is “pretty much self-sufficient” from parking and Innovation Center rent revenue, Whalen said.

Community benefits

It will take time for the benefits of the medical campus development to reach the surrounding neighborhoods.

Ruth Bryant, a retired assistant dean in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning, serves as the Fruit Belt’s representative on the medical campus board. She said residents are concerned about boosting home ownership in their neighborhood, ensuring they have access to the jobs created on the campus and keeping the cars and SUVs of campus employees from crowding their streets.

“How do you respect that neighborhood while still growing?” Bryant asked. “It’s the residents working with the campus to come up with the solutions.”

Officials acknowledge the campus won’t be considered a success until research is spun off into biotech companies.

“If you look at other models and other communities out there, it’s the private sector investment that drives everything,” said Enstice.

Innovation Center

Not every life-sciences company will succeed – as the demise of SmartPill Corp. showed – but the Innovation Center on the Buffalo campus is spurring this effort.

There are 63 companies in the center named for Beecher, including a fourth-floor incubator.

The center hosts Bagel Fridays, where tenants casually engage over a light breakfast, and three projects have grown out of the weekly gatherings.

“The building has great energy,” said Rob Wynne, the president and executive creative director of Wynne Creative Group, an advertising agency that moved its six employees to the Innovation Center in 2012.

Mobile HealthCare Connections was the first incubator tenant. The company works with doctors, nurses and pharmacists to provide real-time, in-home monitoring and management of patients, particularly those who are elderly and less able to get around.

“It’s the heartbeat of the medical community,” CEO Brian Egan said.

The Innovation Center opened in 2010, part of a recent flurry of construction activity, and 5,000 more workers are expected on campus by 2016, when Children’s Hospital and UB Medical School are opened.

City Comptroller Mark J.F. Schroeder has asked Whalen, the campus’ chief operating officer, to meet with representatives of credit ratings agencies to show them the development taking place on the medical campus.

One woman from Standard & Poor’s, looking at a map of the campus, told Whalen they seem to be running out of room.

Thinking vertically

The campus has to think vertically, Whalen said, as when UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center and Kaleida’s Gates Vascular Institute were stacked in the same building. One option for the second Innovation Center fits this model.

The campus needs to build another center to house Albany Molecular Research Inc. and the other tenants of a drug and medical research facility.

The first plan, which would have required tearing down part of the former Trico complex, ran into objections from preservationists.

Now, campus officials are looking at a different wp-contentroach: Tearing down the aging, city-owned Ellicott Goodrich Garage, known as the EGG, and replacing those 900 spaces with a 1,600-vehicle ramp and several floors of research space on top of the $87 million structure.

AMRI, the anchor tenant, and its partners are receiving a $50 million state grant to support their move to the campus.

The hope is the next AMRI won’t require any financial carrot, because the prospect of locating on the medical campus will be attraction enough.

“It’s the culture change this is bringing to Buffalo. The campus makes that undeniable,” said Marnie LaVigne, UB’s associate vice president for economic development. “I have my own mother asking me, ‘Is this real?’ It’s real.”

email: swatson@buffnews.com

UB, Empire Genomics Partner with Life Technologies to Accelerate Innovative, Genetics-based Clinical Research in WNY

by BNMCin Biotechnology Companies, Campus-wide, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), News, Research10 Comments on UB, Empire Genomics Partner with Life Technologies to Accelerate Innovative, Genetics-based Clinical Research in WNY

Collaboration Will Strengthen Regional Life Sciences Industry

Empire Genomics, Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) and the University at Buffalo (UB) will embark on a new partnership to develop world-class gene sequencing facilities for genetics-based clinical research on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The collaboration capitalizes on each organization’s strengths to help establish a new standard for genomic research in Western New York and continue to grow the life sciences sector of the region’s economy.

Life Technologies, a global provider of biotechnology products and services, will provide state-of-the-art genome sequencing equipment enabling UB and Empire Genomics to establish their initial set up of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified sequencing facilities on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The advanced sequencing technology available from Life Technologies, combined with the expertise of UB researchers and the Empire Genomics team, will help clinical researchers develop new diagnostic tests that, in the future, could enable physicians to prescribe treatments tailored to each individual based on genetic make-up.

“We are very pleased that after carefully looking at all of the alternatives, the University at Buffalo and Empire Genetics decided that Ion semiconductor sequencing was the best platform to help them reach their goal of advancing genetics-based clinical research, and ultimately driving growth in the life sciences industry in Western New York,” said Mark Stevenson, president and chief operating officer at Life Technologies.

Achieving CLIA certification will enhance and expand the services Empire Genomics and UB provide to clients across the globe, and holds the promise of spawning new diagnostic tests for a number of diseases or conditions. The results will eventually lead to new tools to deliver better health care while growing new jobs in Western New York.

“This collaboration is a great example of the impact that can be made when industry and academic partners work together toward shared goals,” said Marnie LaVigne, PhD, associate vice president for economic development at UB. “We look forward to continuing to partner with Life Technologies and Empire Genomics on these efforts to support the advancement of genetics-based clinical research and the life sciences as key economic drivers in our region.”

The CLIA-certified laboratories will be set up at UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences and at the downtown Buffalo headquarters of Empire Genomics, a provider of genetics-based research and testing services.

“Genetics-based diagnostics will play a major role in developing personalized medicine, and that in turn will create new job opportunities in Western New York,” said Norma J. Nowak, PhD, founder and chief scientific officer at Empire Genomics and director of science and technology at UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. “Leveraging our combined strengths will ensure that we remain at the forefront of technological and research capabilities while making greater long-term contributions to the public health.”

*All products referenced are for Research Use Only and not intended for use in diagnostic procedures, unless otherwise noted.

Kerry Jones Waring (UB CoE);  kerryjon@buffalo.edu
;716.881.7997

Media Coverage:

Collaboration Brings Genetic Testing to Med Campus

UB, Life-sciences Firms Partner on Gene Sequencing

 

 

UB Researchers Have Developed and Validated a New Diagnostic Test for Chronic Sinusitis

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Research7 Comments on UB Researchers Have Developed and Validated a New Diagnostic Test for Chronic Sinusitis

The new test will provide chronic sinusitis patients with a definitive diagnosis for the first time

Clinical studies conducted at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences have completed the clinical development of the first immunologic test for diagnosing chronic rhinosinusitis.

The new test, which is being launched this month nationwide by Immco Diagnostics of Amherst, N.Y., makes it possible, for the first time, to definitively diagnose the condition. Immco Diagnostics licensed the test from the Mayo Clinic, where the researchers, who later joined UB, first developed and patented it.

“This is a game-changer,” says Jens U. Ponikau, MD, clinical assistant professor of otolaryngology at UB, who led the university’s clinical trials on the new test with David A. Sherris, MD, professor and chair of the UB Department of Otolaryngology, and Kishore Malyavantham, PhD, of Immco. “It provides physicians with a way to precisely identify what kind of inflammation is present in the nose and can help guide their treatment wp-contentroach.”

Chronic rhinosinusitis is one of the most common chronic diseases in the U.S., with more than 30 million sufferers, about 14 percent of the population. There are no wp-contentroved drugs or treatments that target chronic rhinosinusitis, mainly, Ponikau says, because physicians have not had sufficient insight into what causes it.

“The symptoms for chronic rhinosinusitis include long-term nasal congestion, thick mucus, headache, loss of sense of smell and opportunistic bacterial infections, most of which are similar to other common conditions,” Ponikau says. “So is it a year-round allergy, a deviated septum, the common cold, some recurrent bacterial infection or chronic sinusitis? Until now, there were few ways to tell.”

Some patients have even undergone endoscopic surgery in hopes of getting some relief, but often the disease comes back after surgery, he says.

While working at the Mayo Clinic, Ponikau and Sherris made the discovery that chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an immunologic condition in which rare white blood cells called eosinophils travel through the nasal skin into the mucus, where they release a toxic protein called major basic protein (MBP), damaging tissue and causing symptoms.

The Mayo Clinic patented the discovery as a clinical test and Ponikau and Sherris brought the research to Western New York when they were recruited to UB in 2003 to reestablish its program in otolaryngology, a specialty focusing on the ear, nose and throat.

“The major basic protein is specific only to chronic rhinosinusitis and does not wp-contentear in acute sinusitis, allergy or the common cold,” explains Ponikau, “but we and researchers at other centers around the world had to confirm this.”

“Patients afflicted with CRS show a specific kind of airway inflammation, which is usually not caused by bacterial infection,” says Lakshmanan Suresh, PhD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences in the UB School of Dental Medicine and vice president of R&D and clinical services at Immco. “Our CRS test shows inflammation elicited due to fungus and is helpful in identifying patients where antibiotic therapy may not be helpful.”

In February, the New York State Department of Health provided regulatory wp-contentroval for the test to measure MBP in nasal mucus.

The test can be performed in a physician’s office. A sample of nasal mucus is taken from a patient and is then sent to Immco Diagnostics for analysis, which will typically take a few days.

Physicians who want to obtain the test should contact Dr. Suresh at Immco at 716-691-0091 ext. 312 or ext. 149.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Jasco Pharmaceuticals Join Forces to Advance Drug Research

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News6 Comments on Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Jasco Pharmaceuticals Join Forces to Advance Drug Research

Organizations partner on preclinical testing of agent that has shown promise against solid tumors, blood cancers

A new partnership, first of its kind for both organizations, will see Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and Jasco Pharmaceuticals, LLC collaborating to advance development of an investigational pharmacological therapy that shows promise for treating both solid-tumor cancers and hematologic malignancies. The affiliation will see RPCI providing preclinical research infrastructure and services to fast-track development of Jasco’s lead agent and speed its progression to the clinical-trial phase.

That agent, JP_11646, is a PIM inhibitor that targets a class of kinase enzymes that help to regulate cancer cell survival. In preclinical studies, JP_11646 has shown activity against solid tumors including breast, colon, liver, lung and pancreas cancers as well as multiple myeloma.

Through this partnership, Jasco, which operates from Woburn, Mass., and has its headquarters in Rochester, N.Y., and RPCI will jointly pursue further preclinical development of the agent, including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis to define its efficacy, its toxicity and how cells respond to it. The project is the first to take advantage of the Center for Drug Development at RPCI, a new program uniting Institute resources that previously operated separately.

Kelvin Lee, MD, Jacobs Family Chair in Immunology and Co-Leader of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at Roswell Park, will lead a study into the role PIM kinases play in CD28 signaling pathways, a survival mechanism that is a major cause of resistance to frontline multiple myeloma treatments.

“This collaboration brings Jasco’s unique kinase inhibitor platform together with Roswell Park’s comprehensive expertise in the development of novel therapies for oncology and the treatment of patients,” says Jasco Pharmaceuticals CEO Eugene Baldino. “It’s a great fit, and one that I know will reduce the development timeline of this promising agent, making it available to patients sooner.”

“Our goal is to get the therapy to cancer patients through a phase I clinical study within one year,” notes Alex Adjei, MD, PhD, FACP, Senior Vice President for Clinical Research and Director of the Center for Drug Development at RPCI, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s inaugural Conquer Cancer Foundation Drug Development Professor. “It’s an ambitious but totally realistic goal given the resources for preclinical and clinical research that exist at RPCI and the tremendous progress Jasco has made on this agent so far.”

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716.845.859

UB is Recognized Nationally as a 'Next Generation University'

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News4 Comments on UB is Recognized Nationally as a 'Next Generation University'

National public policy institute says UB and 5 other universities are models for national higher education reform

The University at Buffalo is among six public research universities from across the country recognized in a new report by the New America Foundation for “embracing key strategies that make them models for national reform.”

UB and the other “next generation universities”—Arizona State University, Georgia State University, University of California-Riverside, University of Central Florida and University of Texas-Arlington—were cited in the report by New America Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy institute, for the strategies they’ve used to expand enrollment and achieve higher graduation rates in a cost-effective manner despite declining revenues.

UB was noted, in particular, for working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to enact the NYSUNY 2020 legislation, as well as for its innovative wp-contentroaches to expanding student access while improving the quality of education, including its “Finish in 4” graduation pledge.

“Opening the doors of opportunity to a world-class education is a guiding priority for UB as a 21st century public research university,” says UB President Satish K. Tripathi. “We’re pleased that we are steadily earning national recognition for our efforts in this regard. As we realize our UB 2020 vision of academic excellence, we are focused on providing a transformative educational experience for our students. And we are working equally hard to ensure that this experience is available to all students with the talent and dedication to pursue it.”

Charles F. Zukoski, UB provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, says the report reinforces UB’s position as “an innovator in delivering exceptional value in education and research.”

“We have built and are expanding educational programs that focus on issues faced by our students and the larger society that recognize the role higher education plays in advancing individuals and society,” Zukoski says. “Our programs focus on delivering the skills that will enable our students to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation—and with minimal debt—and be successful over the course of their careers.”

The New America Foundation report, titled “The Next Generation University,” notes that at a time when many public universities are “failing to respond to the nation’s higher education crisis,” these six institutions are “breaking the mold by boldly restructuring operating costs and creating clear, accelerated pathways for students.”

“These universities are continuing their commitment to world class research while increasing enrollment and graduation rates, even as the investments from their states have declined,” the report says.

“With the economy stuck in neutral, tuition prices and student loan debt skyrocketing, and parents and students increasingly questioning the value of a college degree, our public institutions urgently need a different wp-contentroach to the challenge of educating an increasingly diverse mix of students at a reasonable cost,” the report says.

“Public universities can move onto a more prosperous financial footing and provide more students with a high-quality education at the same time—if they take advantage of the strategies that the next generation universities…have pioneered.”

The report features case studies of the six universities that highlight each institution’s strategies for success. The universities were chosen for inclusion in the report based on a detailed analysis of federal education data. The institutions were studied through a series of site visits, interviews with campus personnel and an analysis of institutional policies.

New America Foundation representatives visited UB on Feb. 26, meeting with Tripathi, Zukoski, other members of the UB senior leadership, a student group and a representative group of faculty from across the disciplines.

The report praises the next generation universities for developing new revenue sources and strategies to reduce costs. UB was cited for forging a partnership with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature—the NYSUNY 2020 legislation passed in 2011, which resulted in historic public higher education reforms for the state, including a predictable tuition policy and a $35 million challenge grant enabling the university to move forward with plans to move the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The report notes that these increased revenues have enabled UB to add more than 300 undergraduate course sections in high-demand classes to help students graduate in a timely fashion. They also support the university’s plans to hire 250 additional faculty members.

The report specifically mentions UB’s “Finish in 4” program that pledges to provide entering UB freshmen with the academic resources they need to graduate in four years.

To read the New America Foundation report, click here.

John DellaContrada (UB); dellacon@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4601

Governor Cuomo Unveils Major Economic Development Initiative

by BNMCin Homepage, Investment Opportunities, News10 Comments on Governor Cuomo Unveils Major Economic Development Initiative

Governor Cuomo Unveils Major Economic Development Initiative to Transform University Communities into Magnets for New Businesses and Investment

Under Tax-Free NY, Any New Business Will Be Able to Operate Tax Free on a SUNY Campus for Ten Years

Albany, NY  (May 22, 2013)

Press Release

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today unveiled “Tax-Free NY,” a game-changing initiative that will transform SUNY campuses and university communities across the state into tax-free communities that attract start-ups, venture capital, new business, and investments from across the world.

Tax-Free NY will entice companies to bring their ventures to Upstate New York by offering new businesses the opportunity to operate completely tax-free – including no income tax for employees, no sales, property or business tax – while also partnering with the world-class higher education institutions in the SUNY system.

“Over the past two years we have cut middle class tax rates to their lowest rates in sixty years, cut taxes for small businesses, while at the same time investing like never before in our institutions of higher education,” Governor Cuomo said. “With unemployment at its lowest in years and more private sector jobs in New York than ever before, we are beginning to see the results of our efforts. Tax-Free NY will supercharge our efforts to grow our economy by transforming localities in Upstate New York into virtual tax-free communities for new businesses and new jobs. Under Tax-Free NY, communities across Upstate will become a magnet for new businesses, new startups, new venture capital, and new jobs, taking our economic development and job creating efforts to a level never seen before.”

Temporary President of the New York State Senate Dean G. Skelos said, “The most important thing we can do is provide more jobs for New Yorkers so they can provide for their families. This initiative has the potential to make New York more economically competitive, help us attract businesses from other states and grow our economy for the future. The solution to so many of the concerns we face is the need for more jobs, and I believe that we should spend the rest of the legislative session working to cut taxes to reduce the cost of doing business so we can empower the private sector and create new jobs.”

Senate Majority Coalition Co-Leader Jeffrey D. Klein said, “In order to compete in today’s hyper-competitive global marketplace, we need to continually develop bold and creative ideas to attract the best and fastest growing companies. Tax free zones are the next frontier in this effort. These zones hold the potential to provide jobs and upward mobility to thousands of unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers while building a brighter economic future for communities across our state.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, “Our colleges, universities and community colleges are New York’s greatest competitive advantage and should be the engines that drive our job-creation efforts. Through the Tax Free New York Program, we will transform vacant campus space and land into new jobs and all of the related opportunities that spring up around areas of economic activity. Using the world-class College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering as a model, this program will enhance the academic missions of our colleges and universities, ensure that local graduates can find rewarding opportunities at home, and promote the advancement of emerging technologies.”

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said, “The Governor has said many times that SUNY is the economic engine for New York, and these new tax free zones will further our campus’ ability to innovate, create jobs, and attract new companies through public private partnerships. I want to thank the governor for supporting SUNY and for continuing to raise the bar for higher education in New York State.”

Tax-Free NY includes:

  • Tax-Free Communities: All SUNY campuses outside of New York City and designated private colleges north of Westchester will be tax free (no sales, property, or business/corporate taxes). Up to 200,000 square feet surrounding the campus will included in the tax-free community.
  • Employees Exempt from Income Taxes: Employees of businesses that open in Tax-Free NY communities will be exempt from paying income taxes.
  • Additional 3 Million Sq. Ft in Commercial Space at Private Universities: Under Tax-Free NY, 3 million sq. ft. in commercial space will be available at New York’s private universities and twenty strategic state assets will also be designated tax-free.
  • Businesses Eligible for Tax-Free NY: Eligible businesses include companies with a relationship to the academic mission of the university and companies creating new jobs, including new businesses, out-of-state businesses that relocate to New York and existing businesses that expand their New York operations while maintaining their existing jobs.

SUNY’s 64 campuses are located in all corners of New York State, and most New Yorkers live near a SUNY campus:

  • 93% of New Yorkers live within 15 miles of a SUNY campus
  • 97% of New Yorkers live within 20 miles of a SUNY campus
  • 100% of New Yorkers live within 30 miles of a SUNY campus

To find a nearby SUNY campus, visit New York’s transparency website at Open.ny.gov:
Map of campuses: https://data.ny.gov/d/cfb3-a8v8
Dataset: https://data.ny.gov/d/3cij-nwhw

Tax-Free NY continues the Governor’s work to reverse New York State’s reputation as the “tax capital” of the nation. Since taking office, the Governor has cut middle class tax rates to their lowest rates in 60 years, enacted the state’s first-ever property tax cap, eliminated or greatly reduced the MTA payroll tax for nearly 300,000 small businesses, and provided middle class families with a child tax credit.

Since taking office, the Governor has focused on growing New York’s economy, particularly in Upstate NY, where decades of decline and decay have taken their toll. In this year’s State of the State address, the Governor expanded on his economic agenda with a focus on innovation. Building on his successful Regional Economic Development Councils and NY SUNY2020, the Governor launched the Innovations Hot Spots Program and created a $50 million Venture Capital fund to help bring to market the technological innovations born at New York State’s internationally renowned research institutions.

Tax-Free NY will replicate the economic success of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) in the Capital Region. By partnering with the University at Albany and the State, CNSE grew to become not only a preeminent research college for nanoscale technology, it also attracted billions of dollars in private sector investment, transforming the Capital Region into the international epicenter of the commercial nano-industry. Modeled on this success, Tax-Free NY will entice potential start-ups to bring their new business ventures here to Upstate New York, where they will benefit from resources offered by partnering with higher education institutions as well as the ability to do their business completely tax-free for a decade.

“The groundbreaking Tax-Free NY initiative further demonstrates Governor Andrew Cuomo’s strategic vision and bold leadership in establishing New York as the epicenter of the global nanotechnology industry,” said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and CEO of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. “This pioneering initiative builds on the Governor’s success in harnessing the power of education and innovation to attract jobs, companies and investment from the leading high-tech companies around the world, and in the process, creates exciting career and business opportunities for New Yorkers.”

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James H. Cummings Foundation Donates $1M to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

by BNMCin Member Institution(s), News3 Comments on James H. Cummings Foundation Donates $1M to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital


The John H. Cummings Foundation presented the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital with a $1 million gift to establish the James H. Cummings Foundation Epilepsy Monitoring Center. The donation is the largest gift ever given by the Cummings Foundation.

A neurologic disorder that nearly 2.2 million people throughout the country suffer from, epilepsy causes repeated and involuntary seizures. Although anti-epileptic drugs are available as a means to treat and minimize the seizures, many individuals still experience frequent episodes that affect their quality of life.

Serving both adults and children with epilepsy, the eight bed Epilepsy Monitoring Center is offering treatment to patients at the current Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo site. For the last 4 years, the center has been recognized as a Level 4 epilepsy center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.

Level 4 centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level of medical and surgical evaluations and treatments for patients with complex epilepsy. Such centers provide long-term video EEG monitoring is available, can provide accurate diagnosis and allow for optimal therapeutic intervention, in particular evaluation for epilepsy surgery, tailored anti-epileptic drug therapy, implantation of vagal nerve stimulators or initiation of the ketogenic diet.

The new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital will function as a regional center for comprehensive and state-of-the-art pediatric, neonatal, perinatal and obstetrical services in Western New York.

“The James H. Cummings Foundation believes that having a state-of-the-art hospital focused on children’s needs is critical to our community,” stated Charles F. Kreiner, Jr., president of the James H. Cummings Foundation.

To-date, out of the $40 fundraising campaign goal for the Children’s Hospital, $30 million has been raised. The James H. Cummings Foundation continues a trend of major giving to support the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, which includes the John R. Oishei Foundation, The Children’s Guild Foundation, The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, New Era and Fisher-Price/Mattel.

The James H. Cummings Foundation was established to support the philanthropic vision of its namesake. Throughout its 51-year history, the Foundation has aided countless organizations engaged in advancing charitable interests according to the guidelines and policies espoused by Mr. Cummings.  Admired for his unassuming manner, friendly air, and a quiet generosity, Mr. Cummings was dedicated to giving back to the communities he called “home.”

The John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital is scheduled to be completed in December of 2015 on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. For more information, visit www.kaleidahealth.org/childrens/oishei/.

Insulin Fights Inflammation and Even Small Amounts of Glucose Trigger it in Type 1 Diabetics

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Research, Wellness2 Comments on Insulin Fights Inflammation and Even Small Amounts of Glucose Trigger it in Type 1 Diabetics

Findings of small UB study are significant for understanding, treating infections in Type 1 diabetics

A small University at Buffalo (UB) study has found for the first time that in Type 1 diabetics, insulin injections exert a strong anti-inflammatory effect at the cellular and molecular level, while even small amounts of glucose result in “profound inflammation.”

The findings show that in Type 1 diabetics, insulin has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. This effect essentially suppresses the important pro-inflammatory protein called HMG-B1, which facilitates the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (messenger proteins) that induce even further inflammation when secreted and released by the injured cell.

The work builds on previous research by the investigators in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, which showed that insulin had the same anti-inflammatory effect in obese and Type 2 diabetes patients, but it highlights some important differences.

According to the paper, published in February in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, insulin’s anti-inflammatory effect takes longer to occur in Type 1 diabetics, about six hours, as opposed to two hours in Type 2 diabetics and obese patients. It also took about six hours for inflammatory markers known as reactive oxygen species to wp-contentear in Type 1 diabetics after glucose infusion whereas it took wp-contentroximately one to two hours in Type 2 diabetics and obese patients.

“The reason for this delayed response to insulin and glucose in Type 1 diabetes patients is not clear and requires further investigation,” says Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine; chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in the UB medical school; and first author on the study. “It is possible that these patients have a more intense level of inflammation, which requires a greater effort to induce a change.”

Another significant difference was found when the Type 1 diabetics were infused with glucose alone. While Type 2 diabetics and obese patients demonstrated no changes in glucose concentrations when administered small amounts of glucose, there was a small but significant increase in glucose concentrations in the Type 1 diabetics.

“The infusion of small amounts of glucose, 5 grams per hour over four hours, leads to a profound inflammatory effect, including the generation of the HMG-B1 protein,” says Dandona. “Since 20 grams of glucose is the equivalent of just four teaspoonfuls of sugar, this has extremely important implications for Type 1 diabetics.”

According to Dandona, even relatively small and brief increases in glucose concentrations induce an increase in the expression of inflammatory markers, such as toll-like receptors (proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system) and others at the cellular and molecular level in Type 1 diabetics, because they have no insulin reserve.

“Our findings show that even a small amount of carbohydrate cannot be tolerated by Type 1 diabetics without the protection of injectable insulin even over a short period of time without the risk of inflammation,” he says. “This has profound implications for the severity of inflammation in patients with infections and in terms of taking insulin before meals.”

In the study, 10 Type 1 diabetics received either insulin infusions of two units per hour with 100 milliliters of dextrose per hour or just the dextrose, following an overnight fast. Blood samples were collected at intervals of zero, two, four and six hours after the infusions.

In the group that received insulin plus dextrose, markers of inflammation were suppressed and blood sugar readings stayed normal, at around 100 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter).

But those who received just dextrose experienced a blood sugar spike from 115 mg/dl after fasting to 215 mg/dl at four and six hours, as well as an increase in the generation of key inflammatory markers. These include reactive oxygen species and several toll-like receptors, which may be involved in inflammatory processes, including gram positive and gram negative infections, metabolic inflammation as associated with obesity and diabetes and atherosclerosis.

“We were interested in these inflammatory markers in particular because although Type 1 diabetics are already being treated with insulin injections, they can be susceptible to infections and other inflammatory conditions, which lead to very serious, even life-threatening, complications, such as septicemia,” he said.

“Based on these observations, we are now beginning a study on meals taken with and without insulin in Type 1 diabetics, so that we can better understand what missing even a single insulin injection at mealtime means to a Type 1 diabetic patient,” he concludes.

Co-authors with Dandona, all from UB, are Husam Ghanim, MD, research assistant professor; Kelly Green and Chang Ling Sia, research assistants; Sanaa Abuaysheh, research associate; Nitesh Kuhadiya, MD, UB medical resident; Manav Batra, UB medical resident; Sandeep Dhindsa, MD, and Ajay Chaudhari, MD, both formerly associate professors at UB.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

RPCI Becomes Associate Member of the New York Genome Center

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News

Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) has joined the New York Genome Center (NYGC) as an Association Member to collaborate to design clinical wp-contentlications for genome sequencing in oncology.

As a leading, comprehensive national and international center for cancer research, clinical care and education, RPCI provides basic and translational research, educational programs, and multidisciplinary and compassionate patient care. RPCI also brings additional resources such as its Genomics Shared Resource, a Pathology Resource Network, Bioinformatics Shared Resource, and Data Bank and BioRepository (DBBR).

“Its unique, specialized focus on cancer research, prevention and treatment will contribute significantly toward our knowledge of disease, furthering our mission of achieving personalized medicine,” said Robert B. Darnell, President and Scientific Director of NYGC.

Offering resources like the bio banking facility, RPCI will be able to assist the NYGC in learning about genetic origins and new treatments for cancer patients. The collaboration will also serve as a catalyst for important large-scale cancer genomic studies to be conducted at NYGC with other members.

Donald Trump, MD, President and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute stated that “This partnership enhances our opportunities to extend collaborations with our colleagues throughout New York, including the New York City cancer centers, thus allowing us to bring the latest discoveries in genome science to our work to understand, prevent and cure cancer and other diseases.”

The collaboration opportunities that will come from this recent partnership will lead to resourceful and impactful research opportunities and clinical breakthroughs which will result in decreased health disparities of New York residents.

RPCI Groundbreaking for Clinical Sciences Center

by BNMCin Construction, Member Institution(s), News

Construction of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) Clinical Sciences Center kicked off today with a groundbreaking ceremony for the 11-story, 142,000-square-foot, $40 million state-of-the-art facility that will house enhanced clinical care resources to help RPCI save lives and find cures for cancer.
The Clinical Sciences Center will be located at Michigan and Carlton Streets. It is the first construction project for RPCI since 2007. It is also the first clinical expansion project underway for RPCI since 15 years ago.

The center will offer a breast center; an expanded mammography center (the capacity to conduct annual mammogram screening will increase to 10,000); a new chemo-infusion clinic; an adolescent and young adult clinic; patient education and survivorship programs to reach patients, caregivers and family members; and state-of-the-art office facilities and space for clinician-scientists to analyze data from clinical studies.

Out of the $40 million raised for the facility, $25 million was raised through the Making Room to Save Lives: The Campaign to Build a Greater Roswell Park – a Roswell Park Alliance Foundation initiative that also received $10 million from the Circle of Ten (a group of 10 Western New York business and philanthropic leaders). There were 425 donors that contributed to Phase I of the fundraising efforts, including Roswell Park employees who collectively donated more than $1 million and a $1.5 million donation from New Era Cap in November 2012.

RPCI Clinical Sciences Center Groundbreaking-1

The groundbreaking is said to put RPCI right on schedule to meet the needs of the growing number of patients served. Within the last 5 years, RPCI has experienced a 39% patient increase and a 58% rise in outpatient wp-contentointments over the last 10 years. Nationally known for its care for cancer patients, the increase is due to a number of factors including an aging population and growth in translational research breakthroughs.

In addition to being able to help patients in the future, the center will presently boost the economy by way of a Project Labor Agreement that has been wp-contentroved by 18 different local trades. This will lead to the use of  local contractors and labor for the shell, core and 4 clinical floors within the center. The Clinical Sciences Center will be responsible for the creation of more than 200 construction and 340 long-term full-time jobs.

The building, which will also be connected to the adjacent main RPCI hospital, is expected to be completed in 2015.

*Pictures from retrieved from RPCI Web site

National NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo

by BNMCin Community, Event, Healthy Communities, News, Wellness

Banner Letterhead
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                           
Thursday, April 18, 2013

Contact:
Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.
716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

MEDIA ALERT

National NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo

Shavon Arline-Bradley will talk about health equity, power and privilege

WHAT:              “An Evening with Shavon Arline-Bradley, Director of Health Programs, NAACP” is a free event, open to the public, featuring a presentation by the nationally-renowned, dynamic speaker. The discussion will focus on empowering community members to advocate for healthier communities. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about present and prevailing health disparities, socio-economic barriers and ways to combat each by using power, privilege and knowledge to help make decisions to increase individual and community health equity.

WHEN:          Wednesday, April 24th at 6 p.m.

WHERE:        WNED Studios – 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo, NY 14202 (free parking available)

WHO:             Shavon Arline-Bradley, MPH, Director of Health Programs, NAACP

Shavon Arline-Bradley is the national director of health programs for the NAACP where she is responsible for coordinating and planning the Association’s health agenda and program implementation efforts. Ms. Arline has over 11 years of public health experience in the areas of health disparities, federal and state government health program management, and community and stakeholder collaborative relationship building. The New Jersey native is a public health advocate and former track and field athlete. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ms. Arline is currently serving on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Childhood Obesity advisory board and was asked to serve on the expert advisory panel for the CDC’s Division of Physical Activity and Nutrition to address health disparities.  Ms. Arline is also a member of the AIDSVu national advisory committee.

Ms. Arline is a sought after public speaker and has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Caribbean.  She has been invited to national and regional conferences to present on disease prevention, exercise physiology, minority and women’s health issues as well as social justice. She also ministers to congregations as an advocate for faith based health, social justice initiatives and spiritual development.

Ms. Arline was awarded Young Leadership and Excellence honors and co-authored “The Queens Legacy” in 2009. She is a member of the Columbia (MD) Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and serves as the co-chair physical and mental health subcommittee of the national program planning and development committee. She is also a member of the Columbia (MD) chapter of the Links Inc. Shavon is also the former health committee chair for the Washington DC branch of the NAACP.

Prior to joining the NAACP, Ms. Arline served as the health programs coordinator of REACH 2010 at the Heart of New Orleans focusing on the heart health of over 1,300 African American women. At the Crater Health District (VA) she was the Community Health and Prevention Supervisor and public information officer and coordinated community health education and outreach programs, administrated grant funding and contractors, and served as the community liaison to the health district.

Ms. Arline served as Health Program Manager with the Black Women’s Health Imperative overseeing community outreach and program implementation for African American women and their families.  She was also the Health and Wellness Manager for the National Recreation and Park Association in Ashburn, Virginia where she managed the Action Communities for Health Innovation and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) program funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. and the Buffalo Branch of the NAACP

The event is free, but RSVP’s are requested. RSVP online at bnmc-old.local/events/health/or by phone at 716.854.2662.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is the umbrella organization created in 2001 by the anchor institutions located within the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The BNMC, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, the 55+ private sector companies on the Medical Campus, 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living. The BNMC, Inc. also works with partners throughout the community to develop healthier, greener, and more economical solutions to meet the needs of our growing urban campus and the region as a whole. bnmc-old.local

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