* Cancer Research. The building will be the locus for the new Weill Cornell Cancer Center, which was created to translate discoveries into effective preventive and treatment strategies, create synergies in cancer research, advance global efforts in cancer prevention, and educate and train medical professionals and researchers. The researchers' goal is to collaborate to find ways to stop cancer before it ever has the chance to gain a foothold.* Heart Health. Researchers will investigate new treatments for heart disease, specifically in the areas of atherosclerosis, angiogenesis and cardiac genetics. Scientists across disciplines will work with physicians to tackle major questions such as genetic predispositions to cardiac arrest, the influence of cholesterol in heart disease, and the causes of imbalance in blood vessel formation.* The Brain. Weill Cornell researchers will continue to lead the way in groundbreaking research in brain health. Every day, researchers in the lab and physicians working with patients make strides that deepen the understanding of the basic biology of the brain. Weill Cornell successfully conducted the first gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, which strikes 50,000 new people in the U.S. each year, and is exploring new frontiers for the causes and treatment of stroke, which affects 700,000 Americans each year. * Children's Health. Weill Cornell physician-scientists will collaborate across specialties to seek answers to the most prevalent health issues affecting children today, including leukemia, epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, autism and childhood infections. As one example, new insights into the biology of the brain promise to lead to cell-based therapies for several common neurological disorders such as epilepsy, which afflicts about 45,000 children under the age of 15 each year. Physician-scientists will build on research breakthroughs already under way in pediatric cancers, obesity and diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders and infectious diseases.* Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Molecular Medicine. Among the recent notable advances in biomedicine, none stir the imagination and raise hope more than those in regenerative medicine -- the science of marshaling the body's own cellular resources for restoring tissue and function. In only a few short years, research breakthroughs in the Ansary Stem Cell Institute at Weill Cornell have positioned us as global leaders in a key discipline in regenerative medicine -- stem cell biology. Continuing research in this area will lay the groundwork for developing new treatments for cardiovascular disease and other conditions.* Global Health and Infectious Diseases. The Medical Research Building will be the international hub of Weill Cornell's extensive global network of scientists and physicians working to develop innovative ways to combat infectious diseases and develop treatments for the growing burden of chronic diseases. It will be linked with The Center for Global Health, a collaborative effort between Weill Cornell and Cornell University in Ithaca, to build on programs in Australia, Brazil, Haiti, India, Peru and Tanzania, among many other countries.* Diabetes, Metabolic Disorders and Obesity. Weill Cornell investigators will study new ways to address diabetes and insulin-related metabolic disorders, which now affect more than 20 percent of the national population. They are studying the effects of bariatric surgeries on obesity and cancer; the use of islet cells in kidney transplantation, providing a promising new cell therapy for the cure of Type 1 diabetes; and ongoing clinical trials on glucose control. In addition, Weill Cornell research programs in genetic medicine are furthering understanding of the interaction of the environment and genetics in the risk for diabetes, and how genetic variations cause disarray in the metabolism of carbohydrates, as well as developing new therapies to treat the epidemic of diabetes and obesity.

Discoveries that Make a Difference

The Campaign for Weill Cornell Medical College, Discoveries that Make a Difference, will raise an unprecedented $1.3 billion in private philanthropy to translate the findings of basic science into the most advanced treatments for patients as quickly as possible. In the 21st century, the most profound discoveries in medical science will occur at the intersection of disciplines and through the collaboration of new ideas. Discoveries will fund a bold strategic plan including paradigm-shifting initiatives in biomedical research, medical education and patient care to advance global health and well-being.

The Discoveries Campaign leverages the synergies created by Weill Cornell's partnerships with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, The Methodist Hospital-Houston, as well as Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, and through our work in global health in Tanzania and Haiti. The Campaign will support the recruitment and retention of the very best faculty, doubling our existing research space with the construction of a new biomedical research building, and expanding programs in discrete areas, including: cancer; cardiovascular medicine; obesity, diabetes and metabolic disorders; neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric diseases and aging; stem cell, developmental biology, regenerative and reproductive medicine; global health and infectious diseases; children's health; and collaborative opportunities with our Ithaca campus. Student scholarship is another priority of the Campaign, to assure the College continues to attract the very best students regardless of their ability to pay for top-quality medical education. For more information on the Discoveries Campaign, please visit www.weillrnell/campaign.

SOURCE Weill Cornell Medical College 

www.weillrnell