New York Genome Center at a Glance
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NEW YORK GENOME CENTER AT A GLANCE OVERVIEW The New York Genome Center (NYGC) is at the forefront of transforming biomedical research and clinical care with the mission of saving lives. Founded in 2011 as a consortium of renowned academic, medical and industry leaders across the globe, NYGC is a 501(c)(3) charity that focuses on translating genomic research into clinical solutions for serious disease. Our member organizations are united in this unprecedented collaboration of technology, science and medicine. OUR MISSION We implement advanced genomic research and integrate our findings with world-class technologies and physician-scientists in order to help solve diseases. We harness the diversity of New York’s institutions and people to drive scientific discoveries that will vastly improve clinical care – ethically, equitably and urgently. We advocate and educate, sharing our findings with the global scientific, medical and thought leadership communities to broaden the reach of the New York Genome Center to help patients in every corner of the world. We create synergies through collaboration to continually innovate and advance our vision. CORE ACTIVITIES Our capacities and expertise reflect our commitment to being a vital resource – and driver – for the advancement of translational genomics. Our current core activity areas are: Sequencing and Bioinformatics Services We work with both our Member Institutions and the genomics research community at large to provide best-in-class technology and expertise to advance scientific breakthroughs. NYGC’s services include experimental design assistance, sample quality control processes, library preparation, sequencing (whole genome, exome, RNA, and lane sequencing), extensive data quality control, bioinformatics, and data storage. NYGC is the only institution in the Tri-State Area to acquire the Illumina HiSeq X Ten, the fastest and most advanced sequencing technology available. Through a Services Access Agreement, we also offer genomic sequencing and informatics services to Investigators and Scientists affiliated with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Clinical Laboratory The New York Genome Center has established a Clinical Laboratory, which will offer Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based testing for rare diseases and cancer. NYGC’s Clinical Laboratory diagnostic services will be accessible to physicians on behalf of their patients. Research As well as providing services and analysis, NYGC moves the clinical genomics needle forward through innovative research and methods development and improvement. Several key areas of disease focus APRIL 2015 include cancer, autoimmune disease and neurological disorders. In support of the latter, our Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease (CGND) is dedicated to studying neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s. The CGND’s partners include our own IFMs, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Northeast ALS Consortium, Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and UMass Medical School. In addition to the CGND, we have initiated several collaborative clinical studies, including those focused on rheumatoid arthritis and pediatric leukemia and neuroblastoma. We also launched a multi- institutional trial in which we are partnering with IBM to explore whether their Watson artificial intelligence technology can help create personalized treatments for patients with glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. We are currently pursuing additional pharmaceutical, technology and related industry partnerships in addition to our relationship with IBM, our Founding Technology Member. Our faculty members, who each hold a joint appointment at a Member Institution, are leading complementary research in areas including schizophrenia, population genomics, evolutionary mechanisms and disease risk, single cell genomics, and more. NYGC also has an Innovation Lab dedicated to protocol development, equipment evaluation, and informatics tool development and integration. Collaborative Infrastructure Development NYGC is committed to developing the systems and infrastructure to enable researchers from New York and beyond to carry out large-scale, collaborative genomics research. NYGC was awarded, along with a consortium of 10 medical institutions, a PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) contract. The contract supports building infrastructure to centralize clinical data across a number of hospitals and care providers, with the goal of enabling research and analysis that will provide evidence-based information that patients and providers can use to make better- informed care decisions. The New York City Clinical Data Research Network (NYC-CDRN) will bring together a total of 22 organizations across seven systems and include comprehensive and longitudinal data for at least 2.5 million patients, and potentially as many as 6 million patients. Beyond PCORI, our bioinformaticians and engineers are engaged in a number of projects, including developing warehouses for genomics datasets and their analyses, with the goal of increasing efficiencies, scale and knowledge access for scientists, while reducing potential costs of and roadblocks to innovative research. Education and Outreach NYGC hosts two independent lecture series. Our Five Points Lectures are technically detailed weekly talks that bring together scientists from New York and beyond to discuss their work, in depth, with researchers, clinicians and students. Evening Talks is a monthly event that is open to the general public and is intended for a broader audience. Leading genomics researchers and theorists discuss recent discoveries, emerging techniques, bioethics, opportunities and challenges. Both series are free to participants. We also hold a number of scientific events and workshops in partnership with our Member Institutions and other organizations. Upcoming events can be viewed on our website. Funding Financial support from individuals and organizations who are committed to NYGC’s vision has been integral to the Center’s early success and growth. Since its inception, NYGC has raised over $200 million APRIL 2015 2 from a number of sources, including federal and private grants, corporate and philanthropic support, and other funding, including support from our member institutions, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Empire State Development Corporation, the Partnership Fund for New York City, and the State of New York. In spring 2014, the New York State Legislature approved $105 million in funding to advance genomic medicine through a partnership between the University at Buffalo and NYGC. As part of this initiative, NYGC will receive $55.75 million from the State and has committed to match it dollar for dollar with funds raised separately. We are close to fulfilling the entirety of this match. CEO, PRESIDENT & SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR Robert Darnell, MD, PhD President, CEO & Scientific Director Dr. Darnell’s career in neurology and genomics spans over 25 years and includes his roles as the Heilbrunn Professor at The Rockefeller University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Dr. Darnell is a Senior Physician at The Rockefeller University Hospital as well as an Adjunct Attending Neuro-Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2014 and has been a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences since 2010. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Russell L. Carson NYGC Board Co-Chair; General Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe Ivan Seidenberg NYGC Board Co-Chair; former Chairman and CEO, Verizon Communications Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD Senior Vice President and Vice Dean for Science, Chief Scientific Officer, New York University Dennis S. Charney, MD Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System Robert Darnell, MD, PhD President, CEO & Scientific Director, NYGC Nicholas Donofrio IBM Fellow Emeritus & EVP Innovation and Technology, IBM (Retired) John B. Ehrenkranz Chief Investment Officer, Ehrenkranz Partners L.P. Anthony B. Evnin, PhD Partner, Venrock William E. Ford CEO, General Atlantic Laurie Glimcher, MD Dean, Weill Cornell Medical College; Provost of Medical Affairs, Cornell University Lee Goldman, MD, MPH EVP for Health and Biomedical Sciences, Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, Columbia University John Havens Partner and Non-Executive Chairman, Napier Park Global Capital APRIL 2015 3 Edison Liu, MD President & CEO, The Jackson Laboratory Tom Maniatis, PhD Scientific & Clinical Steering Committee Chair, NYGC; Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Herb Pardes, MD Executive Vice Chair of the Board, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Frank E. Richardson Co-Founder and Senior Advisory Partner, Sentinel Capital Partners Arthur J. Samberg Manager, Hawkes Financial LLC Jim Simons, PhD Chairman, Simons Foundation; President, Euclidean Capital LLC; Board Chair, Renaissance Technologies Steven Singer Partner, WilmerHale Allen M. Spiegel, MD Dean, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD President, Stony Brook University Bruce Stillman, PhD President & CEO, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Marc Tessier-Lavigne, PhD President, The Rockefeller University Craig B. Thompson, MD President & CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Kevin J. Tracey, MD President & CEO, The Feinstein