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UAlbany Cancer Center Announces Fund for Memory and Hope Honorary Committee

Contact: Michael Parker (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 27, 2004) --The University at Albany�s Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics announced today the names of the founding members of the Honorary Committee for the Fund for Memory and Hope. New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, honorary chair of the committee, made the announcement in remarks at a luncheon honoring committee members. The committee will support the center�s commitment to research into the genetic origins of cancer that will lead to finding a cure for the disease. The initial fundraising goal is $25 million to equip a new state-of-the-art facility and support cutting-edge research. The centerpiece of the building will be the Wall of Memory and Hope.

�Supporting the Fund for Memory and Hope will make a difference in the fight against cancer,� said Senator Bruno. �The new building will be a symbol of hope for the individuals and families who face this terrible disease.�

The committee members include Wallace Altes; John Baackes; Tom Birdsey, John Egan, Carl Florio, John Hedley, Daniel Hogarty, Kay Hotaling, George Kennedy, William Krackeler, Eileen LaCorte, Kelly Lovell, Morris Massry, John Nigro, Joseph Phelan, George Philip, John Picotte and William Schweizer.

The Wall of Memory and Hope will display dedicated plaques chosen by donors to the Gen*NY*Sis Center in memory of cancer victims, in hope for a cure, or in gratitude for the continued health of survivors of the disease. The first plaque to be dedicated will be in honor of the late James R. Hanley, who lost his fight to brain cancer in 2002. His mother, Mary Polsinello Hanley, made the first gift to the campaign in 2003.

�We are grateful for the support of the individuals and companies who have joined the honorary committee today. They are shaping the future of health care for the entire region,� said Paulette McCormick, director of the Gen*NY*Sis Cancer Center. �The research we're doing right now is the first crucial and essential step to establishing a federally-designated comprehensive cancer center which would also serve all area residents by helping prevent and track cancer locally, create or improve therapies, and support the care of patients who have the disease.�

Researchers at the Center already have begun work on projects successfully reviewed, funded and endorsed by the nation's leading cancer experts. Nearly $3 million in grants from the federal government and private foundations has been appropriated towards this research as an ongoing and steady source of support. The Cancer Center intends to submit several more grant proposals for review in the next few months ahead, and will continue making submissions over time as a primary means of funding its research programs.

The Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics is committed to research that will discover the genetic origins of cancer and lead to finding a cure for the disease. Located on the University at Albany�s East Campus in Rensselaer, the new Center will combine UAlbany research expertise in genomics and biomedical sciences with state-of-the-art technology in a new 113,000 sq. ft. building. The $45 million center was made possible by a $22.5 million grant from New York State�s Gen*NY*Sis Program.

Related Link: Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics.