Hunter College announced late last month that it has partnered with Weill Cornell Medical College to pioneer collaborative research in the biomedical field. Hunter will receive a floor for laboratory research in the new Belfer Research Building at WCMC. Hunter College President Jennifer Raab and WCMC Dean Laurie H. Glimcher announced the agreement on October 24.
“[The agreement] is a physical expression of a long-standing relationship between two institutions that will advance scientific study and train the next generation of scientists,” said Raab. The president also noted that a partnership “between a top public and a top private institution is something that rarely—if ever—happens.”
Currently under construction on the Upper East Side, the Belfer building will be dedicated to biomedical research that “will encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations between some of New York City’s top scientists in the pursuit of the shared goal of improving human health,” said Glimcher.
The 16-story building, worth $650 million, is expected to open in January 2014. The 4th floor, which comprises 21,000 square feet of life sciences lab space, will give Hunter faculty easier accessibility to Weill Cornell research facilities and related services.
Weill Cornell leads a multi-institutional research consortium affiliated with other well-known institutions in New York City, including New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Center. Already a member of this research consortium, Hunter has made important contributions in the Clinical and Translational Science Center.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have this first-class space to work side-by-side with Weill Cornell,” Raab said.
Glimcher agreed. “Weill Cornell Medical College is thrilled to have Hunter College share this facility and to have our scientists continue to collaborate on biomedical research.”
