Dedication of The Joan and Joel Smilow Research Center

From the Dean & CEO
Turning Science into Hope

Robert M. Glickman, M.D. Photo: Joanne Savio

For the past few years, I've been watching from my office window as the Joan and Joel Smilow Research Center slowly rose above the East River. As one of those New Yorkers who cherish a river view, I suppose I should be disappointed to lose that vista. But the fact is, I'm thrilled.

The dedication this spring of such an important new addition to our campus and the mid-Manhattan skyline is a genuine milestone in our history. It marks a major expansion and enhancement of our research capabilities, will serve as a magnet to attract outstanding scientists to our School, and will be an engine for the discovery of new treatments for disease.

This 13-story facility increases our overall laboratory space by some 230,000 square feet, accommodating dozens of talented investigators who will benefit from some of the finest and latest technology available in biomedical research. We're assembling multidisciplinary teams in cancer, cardiovascular biology, microbial pathogenesis, systems neuroscience, molecular neuroscience, dermatology and skin biology, genetics, genomics and proteomics, infectious diseases, and nephrology. An important feature of this lab space is its open-bench design, which will promote interaction and can be reshaped to suit the ever-changing needs and priorities of the researchers. Indeed, everything about the Smilow Research Center is designed to advance the pursuit of translational medicine, which seeks to shorten the journey from the bench to the bedside.

In all, the building will house about 40 research teams, a mix of current investigators and new recruits, filling in gaps in the translational research continuum. In the years ahead, our researchers can look forward to collaborations within the School and the University's Washington Square Campus, and even beyond. Plans are under way for New York City's East River Science Park, a $700-million complex of biotechnology companies to be built just a few blocks to the south, on the campus of Bellevue Hospital Center.

An academic medical center exists, above all, to produce the kind of knowledge that offers hope. In that sense, the Smilow Research Center is the embodiment of our commitment to patient-directed research. In short, it is the essence of who we are.