These collaborations — both formal and informal — are powerful tools in the development of new treatments and therapies for some of our most intractable diseases. Insights gleaned from the lab bench may help inform clinical practice, and observations from the patient bedside may inspire new lines of scientific inquiry. As Dr. Erica Jones, director of the clinical arm of the Dalio Institute for Cardiovascular Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, led by Dr. James Min, put it: "Dr. Min is the researcher; I'm the clinician. He uses his research in order to help the patient sitting in front of me — to change patient care."

In the second season of the Inside Medicine online video series, Weill Cornell Medicine chronicles three stories that are emblematic of the institution's dedication to translational research. Each video will take viewers behind the scenes to discover how physicians and scientists apply their research to advance patient care.

"Alex: Hope for Tomorrow" introduces viewers to Bob Bancroft and his nine-year-old son, Alex, who was diagnosed four years ago with Crohn’s disease — a form of inflammatory bowel disease that is characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Alex's team of doctors, in collaboration with scientists from the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, are seeking new and better treatments for children with chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

"Erica: Home Is Where the Heart Is" focuses on Dr. Jones and her colleagues at the Dalio Institute, who use basic and translational research to help their patients prevent and manage heart disease. Advocating for better heart health, Dr. Jones envisions a future for her patients — and even her three children — where innovative research and technology means less disease and better quality of life for people across the globe.

"Irene: A Birthday Wish" highlights the journey of 77-year-old Irene Price and how she won the fight against bladder cancer — thanks to the scientific advancements at the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Using the most precise treatment options, the institute aided Price in living her life to the fullest — one birthday celebration at a time.

Bancroft understands the importance of translational research—his family lives it. "As a parent, especially with a child that has a disease that's incurable," he said, "knowing that you have people consistently working to find something to change that—if anything, it gives you hope."

 Using the social media hashtag, #WeAreWCM, read more stories to discover the faces behind the medicine and how they are paving the future for innovative healthcare.

NEW YORK (December 4, 2014) — Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it has received a $25 million gift from Gale and Ira Drukier to establish a premier, cross-disciplinary institute dedicated to understanding the underlying causes of diseases that are devastating to children. Its goal will be to rapidly translate basic research breakthroughs into the most advanced therapies for patients.

The extraordinary gift names the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children's Health and will enable the medical college to recruit a team of leading scientists, including a renowned expert who will serve as the Gale and Ira Drukier Director, to pursue innovative research that improves treatments and therapies for the littlest patients. The Drukier Institute, a marquee program that will be headquartered on the 12th floor of Weill Cornell's new Belfer Research Building, will also expand and enhance the medical college's already-distinguished research and clinical care programs that strive to end diseases and disorders that affect children and adolescents, including asthma, autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and schizophrenia."We couldn't be more grateful to Gale and Ira, whose generous gift exemplifies their commitment to advancing human health and their steadfast support of Weill Cornell Medical College," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers. "The Drukiers' investment will better the lives of children in New York and beyond, and will leave a lasting mark on our next generation."

"We are greatly appreciative of Gale and Ira Drukier, whose remarkable gift will enable Weill Cornell to expand its world-class research and clinical care programs for children, who can't be treated like little adults," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "The Drukiers' generosity is critical in allowing us to attract the best and brightest minds in pediatric research, who will lead the way as we pursue innovative treatments and therapies that will ensure the health of children now and in the future."

"As parents and grandparents, Gale and I appreciate the tremendous impact medicine can have on growing children," said Dr. Ira Drukier, a member of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers. "When you cure children, you give them their entire life back. It's with immense pride that we are able to make this investment, which will empower Weill Cornell Medical College to focus and direct all of its outstanding pediatric research under the auspices of one institute and provide vital resources to develop tomorrow's treatments and cures."

"It gives us great joy to be able to support Weill Cornell Medical College and make such a tremendous difference in children's lives," Dr. Gale Drukier said. "This gift also continues our enduring relationship with Cornell University, with which we have been connected for 40 years."

The Drukiers have a legacy of philanthropy at Cornell University, having provided generous support to its Herbert F. Johnson Art Museum and College of Architecture, Art and Planning.

"We at Cornell are immensely grateful to Gale and Ira Drukier for their extraordinary leadership and generosity, which has already been felt across the university," President David Skorton said. "With this spectacular new gift, the Drukiers are enabling us to achieve an unprecedented level of excellence in pediatric research. The bench-to-bedside approach of the Drukier Institute will have a lasting impact on children and their families, giving hope when they need it most."

"The gift from Gale and Ira Drukier establishing the Drukier Institute for Children's Health makes a powerful statement about the importance of focusing the energies of a major research institution on improving the health and wellbeing of children," said Dr. Gerald M. Loughlin, the Nancy C. Paduano Professor of Pediatrics and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and pediatrician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "It is a wonderful legacy for these visionary philanthropists."

Caring for children is particularly challenging because their bodies are constantly changing as they grow, and their metabolisms and immune systems are vastly different than those of adults. Understanding the factors that spur growth in children can present possible lines of inquiry into other diseases, such as cancer, because tumors are also programmed to grow. There are also many genetic and developmental diseases that arise in childhood and pose serious health risks during adulthood. But treating these conditions can be arduous for pediatric patients. Many of the common treatments and therapies available to adults have toxic effects on children, making it critical to devise new and better interventions.

Using genomics and other cutting-edge research approaches, the cross-disciplinary Drukier Institute will drive excellence and innovation in pediatrics, seeking to rapidly and seamlessly catalyze research breakthroughs into the most advanced, safe and effective patient care. The Drukiers' generosity will empower the medical college to recruit five top-flight investigators — including a faculty member who conducts clinical research in pediatric genetics — to augment the distinguished team of physician-scientists already at Weill Cornell, as well as train the next generation of researchers in the field.

To help realize this vision, the Drukiers' gift will enable Weill Cornell to secure the latest research equipment, such as sequencing and informatics technology, as well as develop an infrastructure to establish a biobank. Investigators at the institute will work in close collaboration with clinicians in Weill Cornell's Department of Pediatrics to ensure that children immediately benefit from the latest research advances.

To encourage and support faculty development, research and education, the gift will endow the Drukier Lectureship, an annual lecture at Weill Cornell on a research or clinical topic in the field of children's health. It will also establish the Drukier Prize, which will be awarded once a year to a junior faculty member in the United States or abroad for excellence and achievement in advancing research on childhood diseases or disorders.

About Gale and Ira Drukier

A Cornell University graduate, Ira Drukier is co-owner of BD Hotels, LLC, a real estate development company that owns and operates more than two-dozen hotel properties in New York City, including the Mercer, Hotel Elysee and the Maritime.

Dr. Drukier graduated from Cornell in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a focus on solid-state physics and in 1967 with a Master in Engineering, earning a doctorate in electrical engineering in 1973 from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Upon graduation, he joined RCA Corporation's David Sarnoff Research Center, conducting research in the field of microwave semiconductors, which culminated in his development of the first high-power compound semiconductor field effect transistor. In 1976, he joined Microwave Semiconductor Corporation (MSC) and established a division to develop and manufacture high-power microwave transistors for commercial and military use. Siemens Corporation acquired MSC in 1981, and Dr. Drukier stayed on as corporate vice president until 1983, when he ventured into a career in real estate.

Dr. Drukier has served on the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers since 2012, sat on Cornell University's Board of Trustees for eight years and was a member of the Cornell Tech Task Force to help develop the Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island. He is chair of the council for the Johnson Art Museum at Cornell, chair of the board of trustees building committee of the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, N.Y., and serves on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's President's Council. Dr. Drukier is vice-chair of the American Society for Yad Vashem and is a member of the Museum of Jewish Heritage's Board of Overseers. He has also published numerous papers and given lectures in the field of microwave electronics and has contributed a chapter to a book on Gallium Arsenide Field Effect Transistors.

Gale Drukier graduated from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development in 1972 with a degree in speech pathology and audiology, later earning a Master of Science ('73) and a Doctor of Education degree ('79) in audiology from Teacher's College at Columbia University. Dr. Drukier began her career as an audiologist at Bellevue Hospital and at Veterans Affairs hospitals in metropolitan New York, later joining Trenton State University — now the College of New Jersey — as a professor. During her 17-year tenure there, Dr. Drukier conducted research, taught and developed the college's nationally accredited graduate program in audiology. She was consistently recognized by her students as the "Best Teacher." After retiring from teaching, Dr. Drukier joined her family's business, BD Hotels, and has managed and renovated properties on Manhattan's West Side for more than 12 years.

Dr. Drukier has continued to serve NYU since her graduation. She has been a member of the Steinhardt Dean's Council since 2005 as a supporter of the educational and fundraising initiatives of the school. In 2007, Dr. Drukier joined the NYU Board of Trustees and presently chairs its Academic Affairs Committee. In 2010, Dr. Drukier endowed and named the deanship of NYU's Steinhardt School of Education. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Award by NYU in 2013.

Dr. Drukier has also been active at Cornell University, chairing the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art's Program Committee and is a member of the Plantations Council. Dr. Drukier and her husband endowed the deanship at Cornell's College of Architecture, Art and Planning, endowed the curator of prints and drawings at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum and created a garden at Plantations at Cornell University. The couple is also active in the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, N.Y., and serves on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's President's Council. Dr. Drukier is an animal lover, particularly of felines, and is on the board of directors of the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. The Drukiers have one daughter and four grandchildren.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

This release was updated on Dec. 16, 2014.

NEW YORK (June 05, 2014) — Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that through the generosity of longstanding benefactor Jill Roberts and the Jill Roberts Charitable Foundation it is establishing the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Dr. David Artis, one of the world's leading immunologists, was recruited from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine to direct the institute, which is dedicated to understanding the molecular underpinnings of inflammatory bowel disease with the goal of translating basic research breakthroughs into the most advanced therapies for patients.

Mrs. Roberts' gift will also enable Dr. Artis to recruit a team of leading scientists to work at the institute and pursue innovative research to improve treatments and preventative therapies for patients who suffer from IBD and other chronic inflammatory diseases. The institute builds off the successes of Weill Cornell's already robust research and clinical care programs for IBD under the auspices of the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine and the Department of Surgery. It will be housed in the new Belfer Research Building and will collaborate closely with the center, which was established at Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in 2006 with a gift from Mrs. Roberts to treat patients with IBD.

Dr. Artis is currently an associate professor in microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and program director of inflammation for the Penn Institute of Immunology. He is also an associate professor of pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. A distinguished investigator who is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, his research focuses on the body's immune system, how it fights infection and how its normal function can become dysregulated, leading to the development of chronic inflammatory diseases including psoriasis, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

"We are deeply grateful to Jill Roberts for her dedication and remarkable foresight, which have enabled Weill Cornell to assemble a world-class team and establish us as a leader in inflammatory bowel disease research and patient care," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "We are delighted to have preeminent scientist Dr. David Artis join us to lead the new Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. With the incidence of diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis on the rise, it is incumbent upon us to develop new therapies and ultimately a cure for these devastating diseases. Jill's vision and David's expertise will enable us to make transformative research breakthroughs, and I'm very excited about what we can accomplish together."

"With the development of innovative new approaches and technologies, we have the opportunity to revolutionize our thinking about the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases like inflammatory bowel disease," said Dr. Augustine Choi, the Sanford I. Weill Chairman of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell. "I can think of no better person than Dr. Artis to spearhead these efforts and revolutionize patient treatment for the millions of people who suffer from IBD."

"It is vital that we find a cure, and I am certain that this new research institute, working in tandem with the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, will bring us closer to that goal," Mrs. Roberts said. "I am thrilled that Dr. Artis will lead our efforts to make great strides against these diseases."

"The opportunity to establish and lead the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease will allow us to develop innovative new approaches to understand how these diseases develop and identify how we can translate these findings into the clinic to better treat patients," Dr. Artis said. "Jill Roberts has a lifetime commitment to supporting basic and translational research in inflammatory bowel disease, and I am honored to have the opportunity to build a larger community of multidisciplinary researchers who are focused on inflammatory bowel disease and related inflammatory diseases."

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammatory conditions of the intestine that affects an estimated 1.4 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The main forms of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Symptoms include intestinal bleeding and severe abdominal pain and discomfort.

The mission of the research institute is to establish a multidisciplinary center of excellence that will accelerate new scientific discoveries, enabling personalized translational medicine to better prevent and treat inflammatory bowel disease in patients. Dr. Artis will recruit a team of top-flight investigators from multiple fields to focus on basic discovery efforts, translate findings into patient- based studies and train the next generation of researchers in this field.

As part of Weill Cornell's expansion in IBD research, it has recruited Dr. Gregory F. Sonnenberg, an immunologist and research associate in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Sonnenberg's research focuses on why the immune system sometimes overreacts to good bacteria in the intestinal tract, potentially causing inflammatory bowel disease.

A multidisciplinary team of basic, clinical and translational scientists within the institute will investigate how these diseases are influenced by patient genetic factors, the body's immune system, beneficial microbial communities that live in the intestine, and other environmental factors. Their collaboration with the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Weill Cornell and NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital, led by Dr. Ellen Scherl, the Jill Roberts Professor of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell, will establish a new patient tissue biobank and employ patient-oriented basic research and clinical trials to investigate the factors that influence the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Using model systems to develop discovery efforts, coupled with patient-based clinical studies and trials, researchers hope to develop innovative translational treatments and therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.

"I look forward to leading the new institute at Weill Cornell and being on the frontlines of developing the next generation of innovative basic discoveries and translational clinical studies that will revolutionize our approaches to treat and prevent inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory diseases," Dr. Artis said.

Background Information on Dr. David Artis

Dr. Artis is a member of the American Association of Immunology and the British Society for Immunology. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and 40 review and book chapters. Dr. Artis serves as an ad hoc reviewer for multiple publications, including Nature, Science and Cell. He has also served as a consulting editor for the Journal of Clinical Investigation, an associate editor for Mucosal Immunology and sits on the International Journal for Parasitology Editorial Board. Dr. Artis has also reviewed for or served on several national and international study sections, including for the National Institutes of Health, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Senior Investigator Panel, the Broad Foundation, the Agence Nationale de la Recherche in France, Cooperation Europeenne dans Ledomaine de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique in the European Union, and the Wellcome Trust in the United Kingdom.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award (2013), the Stanley N. Cohen Biomedical Research Award (2012), the Lady Barbara Colyton Prize for Autoimmune Research (2011), Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases (2008), International Cytokine Society Junior Faculty Award (2007), AAI Junior Faculty Award (2006) and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Young Investigator Award (2005).

Dr. Artis received his B.Sc. degree in parasitology in 1995 from the University of Glasgow in Scotland and a Ph.D. in immunology in 1998 from the University of Manchester Medical School in England. After receiving the Wellcome Trust International Prize Traveling Research Fellowship in 2000, he completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and earned a position on Penn's faculty in 2005.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

Five months since its launch, the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute is now seeking early-stage research projects for its drug discovery and development program designed to advance scientific breakthroughs into effective treatments for patients.

Tri-I TDI will expedite early- stage drug discovery into innovative treatments and therapies for patients. Credit: John Abbott

Investigators from Weill Cornell Medical College, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University whose discovery of small chemical molecules (the precursor of drugs) show the greatest promise for clinical application are encouraged to apply for the innovative program.

The goal of Tri-I TDI, which formed last October by the three academic institutions in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, is to expedite early-stage drug discovery into innovative treatments and therapies for patients.

To accomplish this, Tri-I TDI pools institutional resources and funds to advance research projects that are too advanced for funding from the National Institutes of Health, but too preliminary to attract partners from venture capital firms or biopharmaceutical companies. This work will make possible all- important "proof of concept" studies—those that increase the likelihood that targeting a specific biologic pathway can favorably alter the course of a disease.

"The key here is to bridge a gap in the drug discovery continuum that many academic projects seem to fall into and never realize their full potential," said Dr. Michael Foley, the Sanders Director of the Tri-I TDI and director of its Sanders Innovation and Education Initiative.

Because of shortfalls in funding, scientists often struggle to develop a promising discovery to the point where it's attractive to potential industry partners for further research, development and commercialization. While grants from the NIH or other agencies fund basic science research, they often don't provide enough money to cover "proof of concept" studies. Without these data, companies are less willing to obtain licenses to test these discoveries in patients and ultimately bring them to market as treatments.

Working in conjunction with Takeda's medicinal chemists, housed on site in the Belfer Research Building, Tri-I TDI's investigators will develop and test small chemical molecules in an array of biological models — cellular, animal, perhaps even human — with the goal of generating this critical data.

"For a company to invest the kind of money that's required to move a compound into drug development and clinical trials, they require very strong scientific proof that this compound can successfully prevent disease or intervene in its progression," Dr. Foley said. "Tri-I TDI is designed to help investigators obtain as much scientific evidence as possible."

A scientific advisory board, which comprises scientific and thought leaders from the biopharmaceutical industry, venture capital community, and faculty of Weill Cornell, Rockefeller and MSKCC, will recommend projects for funding. Tri-I TDI's board of directors, which includes the leaders and one additional representative from each of the three academic institutions, will make the final decision. Project funding and duration will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Letters of intent will be accepted through March 14. To apply or for more information, visit https://www.triitdi.org/applications/.

The Belfer Research Building

Weill Cornell's new Belfer Research Building is the architectural reflection of the medical college's vision for 21st century translational research. It's also an archetype for a green, high-rise laboratory facility — a rare structure in an urban setting like Manhattan.

"Can you believe this building?" enthused Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell. "It is magnificent. It is really beautiful. I get so excited just walking around and looking at this building because I can imagine it filled with senior researchers, filled with junior researchers, post-docs, graduate students and expanding our research enterprise so significantly."

From open and adaptable floor plans and airy stairwells that link every two floors together, to comfortable break rooms and transparent glass walls, the 18-story building is designed to break down research silos, encourage collaboration and elicit a sense of community. The $650 million, 480,000-square-foot facility took nearly four years to build.

"The idea is to create what we call 'productive collisions,'" said Todd Schliemann, who designed the building as a design partner for Ennead Architects. "We created opportunities for researchers to meet each other and discuss what they are doing. Research these days is necessarily interdisciplinary. There is a lot of cooperation within research teams, but we want the various teams to get together, as well."

Built by Tishman Construction, the building includes 16 above-ground floors — three public and 13 of laboratory space — as well as two research-support floors in the basement. Construction workers spent a year excavating 90 feet of rock called Manhattan Schist to build the basement floors.

"Laboratories aren't often done this way," Schliemann said. "To build a building this tall, especially in Manhattan, is unique."

By its very nature, high-impact research requires and consumes a significant amount of energy, Schliemann said, making a building that used sustainable materials, highly efficient mechanical systems and green construction to maintain energy stability a priority.

On the south side of the building, Ennead created a double-skinned, fritted glass curtain wall with openings and sun-shading devices that absorb the sun's heat before it gets trapped inside, which would require air conditioners to pump out more cold air. Continuous ribbon windows flood the building with natural light, and energy-efficient HVAC, lighting control and water-conservation systems save on power and resources. The building's green infrastructure is expected to shrink Weill Cornell's energy bill by about 30 percent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 26 percent compared to a building complying with the minimum requirements set by typical industry guidelines and standards. Weill Cornell is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings, for the facility.

An airy stairwell links two floors together.

Nearly $400 million was gifted by more than 100 donors to support construction of the Belfer Research Building, including a $100 million gift from Robert and Renée Belfer, for whom the building is named. The building is designed to complement the adjacent Weill Greenberg Center, the medical college's National Healthcare Design Award-winning ambulatory care center, which was completed in 2007.

"Together with the Weill Greenberg Center, which is just next door, this building and that building form a kind of pairing, which begins to project the mission of Weill Cornell as a great urban medical college," Schliemann said.

Designing the Belfer Research Building was particularly meaningful for Schliemann, a 1979 Cornell University School of Architecture, Art and Planning graduate. Cornellians, he said, share a commitment to improving society.

"The advancements in science in this building will offer tremendous contributions to society and the future of mankind," he said. "It's a very, very inspirational time to be working on laboratories because the breakthroughs in science are exponential, and this building will give scientists a state-of-the-art vehicle to accomplish Weill Cornell's mission."

Invoking the Spirit of Discovery in Art

Weill Cornell's media wall located inside the Belfer Research Building's main lobby. Credit: Richard Lobell

Weill Cornell leaders set out to create an environment that was not just conducive to high-impact research, but was also warm, inviting and engaging. The building's artwork enhances that intention. Capital planning officials, longtime benefactor Mrs. Belfer and consultants spent months handpicking the art that will hang in the building's conference rooms, public spaces and hallways.

"On the one hand, we were looking for art that related to the spirit of discovery, that would be reminiscent of the kinds of images that are found during scientific research," said William Cunningham, Weill Cornell's campus architect. "But we were also looking for pieces for our informal spaces that that would offer some relief, be relaxing and restful and give a change of pace for people who are concentrating on their science all day."

The most prominent and high-profile works are a digital media wall in the lobby, and three installations from the late American artist Sol LeWitt, who helped pioneer Conceptualism and Minimalism as dominant movements of the 20th century.

The custom-made, animated and programmable digital media wall, designed by London-based multimedia firm Squint/Opera and visible from 69th Street, features thousands of LCD screens that project photos and text that highlight scientific discoveries at the medical college.

The first of two Sol LeWitt wall drawings found on the 12th floor of the Belfer Research Building. Credit: John Abbott

"It's intended to both to tell the story of the research that's going on in the building as well as honor the donors who made the building and medical research possible," Cunningham said.

LeWitt, whose father Abraham was a 1900 graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College, was an internationally acclaimed artist who conceived his wall drawings to be executed by other artists. Three artists spent two weeks at the Belfer Research Building in December executing two of those drawings — complementary isometric figures with red, yellow, gray and blue color ink washes, one color on each plane. The drawings are located on the 12th floor, which is dedicated to children's health research. A team of artists will spend six weeks in the spring installing a third wall drawing — visible from both inside and outside the building — in the stairwell between the second and third floors.

The LeWitt wall drawings on the 12th floor are on loan from the LeWitt family and estate, and the wall drawing on the second and third floors was gifted to Weill Cornell by the estate. Overseer Ronay Menschel and her husband Richard underwrote the installation of all of the LeWitt artwork.

Weill Cornell also commissioned original artwork from painter Isabel Bigelow, whose art will hang in seven lounges on upper building floors, and purchased art, prints and photographs from various artists that will hang across all floors.

"It is our hope at the medical college that viewers of these pieces not only find the works to be visually stunning," Dr. Glimcher said, "but also feel inspired to come up with the ideas that lead to future discoveries at the lab bench in this state-of-the-art research space."

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer Helps Commemorate Opening of Building that Nearly Doubles Medical College's Research Space, Enhances Student Education

NEW YORK (January 31, 2014) — Weill Cornell Medical College today opened the Belfer Research Building, a state-of-the-art facility that ushers in a new era at the institution for cutting-edge, translational science. The 18-story, $650 million building, made possible through the generosity of numerous donors, nearly doubles Weill Cornell's existing research space and empowers scientists to rapidly translate groundbreaking discoveries into the most advanced patient care.

Weill Cornell hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today in the presence of U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, and New York City Councilman Ben Kallos, as well as Cornell University's Board of Trustees and the Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers, to commemorate the building's opening after seven years of fundraising and nearly four years of construction.

Weill Cornell's new Belfer Research Building

The 480,000-square-foot building, located at 69th Street and York Avenue, is devoted to translational bench-to-bedside research targeting some of the most formidable health challenges of the 21st century, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, children's health, global health and infectious diseases. Its proximity to the adjacent Weill Greenberg Center, the medical college's flagship ambulatory care center at 1305 York Ave. at 70th Street, ensures that breakthroughs made in the laboratory can be quickly and seamlessly applied to patient care as improved treatments and therapies in the clinic. The Belfer Research Building will also serve as a nucleus where physician-scientists, educators, students and researchers from Weill Cornell and around the globe can collaborate on the latest discoveries and research breakthroughs.

"Weill Cornell is an undisputed leader in cutting-edge medical education and research, and I am absolutely certain that the opening of the Belfer Research Building will only add to its sterling reputation," Sen. Schumer says. "It is medical institutions like Weill Cornell that have enabled New York to become a world leader in the medical field, and projects like Belfer that will ensure New York stays at the top."

"The Belfer Research Building is a monumental achievement for Weill Cornell, the city and the state of New York," says Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers. "Through the remarkable generosity of our many donors — we received an impressive 154 gifts of $1 million or more to our campaign, including $100 million from Bob and Renée Belfer, for whom the building is named — Weill Cornell has been able to dramatically expand its research enterprise in record time. This building is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships and the collaborative discoveries it promises will cement our role as one of the world's leading centers for biomedical research."

"Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Weill Cornell," says Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "Our new Belfer Research Building is an inspiring symbol of scientific breakthroughs that can advance patient care, enhance health and change lives. I am deeply appreciative of our loyal donors and friends, distinguished physicians and scientists, and our esteemed government and civic leaders, whose unwavering dedication and support is a testament to this building's promise."

"My wife Renée and I along with our children and grandchildren are deeply honored to have our name associated with such a noble effort and such a remarkable building," says Robert Belfer. "This world-class facility will catalyze biomedical research discoveries and empower Weill Cornell's brilliant scientists and our newest recruits to develop game-changing therapies that can transform human health. It's the embodiment of Weill Cornell's vision and mission, and it's the legacy one hopes for when considering philanthropy."

The Belfer Research Building is the centerpiece of Weill Cornell's Discoveries that Make a Difference campaign, launched in 2006 and successfully completed last year. Of the $1.3 billion raised, nearly $400 million was gifted by more than 100 donors to support construction of the Belfer Research Building, with an additional $152 million dedicated to program support and to endowments and recruitment of leading researchers. Among Weill Cornell's philanthropic support was a $250 million gift from Joan and Sanford I. Weill and gifts totaling $100 million from Maurice R. "Hank" Greenberg, his wife Corinne and The Starr Foundation.

The Belfer Research Building features 13 floors of laboratories equipped with the most advanced research technology.

The Belfer Research Building includes 13 floors of laboratories equipped with the most advanced research technology. Its open floor plan and thematic orientation is designed to break down research silos and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration among Weill Cornell's premier scientists, transforming the paradigm for high-impact translational research. Scientists from multidisciplinary translational research centers and institutes focused on precision medicine, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the molecular underpinnings of cancer will investigate alongside one another to encourage unconventional partnerships. This new research standard will empower Weill Cornell's world-class scientists and attract additional top-tier talent to the medical college.

Featured research hubs include the Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine.

"The completion of the Belfer Research Building represents a major expansion of Cornell University's footprint in New York City," says David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University. "It opens the door to an even greater role for Weill Cornell physicians and researchers in benefitting the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers and many others around the globe. I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this building a reality, whether by skilled and dedicated work or through visionary philanthropy."

The Belfer Research Building also headquarters the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, Inc. (Tri-I TDI), an innovative partnership between Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medical College that includes Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to expedite early-stage drug discovery into treatments and therapies for patients. In addition, CUNY Hunter College will conduct translational research on the fourth floor of the building, extending Hunter's and Weill Cornell's rich history of public-private partnership and expanding the Upper East Side Medical Research Corridor as a growing powerhouse in the biomedical research sector.

"Because Cornell University has world-class programs in the basic sciences and in medicine, we are in a uniquely strong position to deliver on the great promise of translational research to solve some of the world's most intractable medical problems," says Bob Harrison, chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees. "The Belfer Research Building will be a magnet for collaborations between researchers and clinicians from our Ithaca and Weill Cornell campuses, and I have no doubt that the work they do here will be transformative."

"This is clearly a momentous event in the history of science at Weill Cornell Medical College," says Dr. Gary Koretzky, dean of the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and senior associate dean for research at Weill Cornell Medical College. "This is an institution that is excellent in its science and we seek to be absolutely outstanding. In our new Belfer Research Building, internationally renowned scientists will tackle our greatest health care challenges, pinpointing the cellular origins of disease and finding targeted treatments for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. Weill Cornell is committed to making a difference in this world by enhancing human health, and I am excited for what we can accomplish."

Innovative and Sustainable Design

Designed by Todd Schliemann, a founding partner and design principal for Ennead Architects, the Belfer Research Building uses sustainable materials, highly efficient mechanical systems and green construction. The building is designed to maximize energy efficiency and features a high-performance, double-skinned fritted glass curtain wall with openings and sun-shading devices that enhance visual and thermal comfort. The building design maximizes natural light, ample yet effective space design and the functional use of sustainable materials to enhance quality of life within the building. Energy-efficient HVAC, lighting control and water conservation systems will enable the Belfer Research Building to save approximately 30 percent on energy consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 26 percent, in comparison to a building complying with the minimum requirements set by typical industry guidelines and standards. Weill Cornell is seeking gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

The Belfer Research Building is designed to complement the medical college's National Healthcare Design Award-winning Weill Greenberg Center, which Ennead completed in 2007. A two-story space extends from the Belfer Research Building's entrance to a landscaped garden on the interior of the block on the second floor, connecting the two buildings and creating an internalized "campus green." Conference rooms, lounge and study spaces, as well as a café are connected to the garden.

In addition to laboratory space, the Belfer Research Building features The Starr Foundation-Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center and Terrace. This space, which spans the second and third floors, includes a reception hall and three conference rooms equipped with video-conferencing technology for in-house and international meetings. In addition, the Daisy and Paul Soros Student Meeting Room, located on the first floor, provides an inviting open space where students can study, relax and meet.

The Jan. 31 ribbon cutting for the Belfer Research Building included remarks by Sen. Schumer; President Skorton; Chairman Harrison; Chairman Weill; Dr. Glimcher; Mr. Belfer; Dr. Steven J. Corwin, CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; and Dr. Randy Longman, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell and an assistant attending gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

$300 Million Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives Campaign to Speed Research Advances from Bench to Bedside

Weills' Donations to Weill Cornell and Cornell University Top $600 Million

New York, NY (September 10, 2013) — Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it has received a $100 million gift from longtime benefactors Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation to launch the Medical College's $300 million Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign dedicated to using the most advanced scientific approaches to rapidly translate research breakthroughs into innovative treatments and therapies for patients.

"We are profoundly appreciative of the generosity of Joan and Sandy Weill, and of all our loyal donors who are committed to advancing medical discoveries and, above all, making a difference in our patients' lives," says Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "It is incumbent upon us to find therapies and cures for the world's most intractable diseases, and the Weills' phenomenal leadership and unwavering support will ensure that we enhance the health of our patients for future generations."

"Advancing Weill Cornell's mission would not be possible without the extraordinary leadership and support of Joan and Sandy Weill," says David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University. "It's critical to recognize the need to support student scholarship as a way for us to attract the next generation of physicians and scientists who will truly drive discovery and change lives."

The Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign will bring to fruition Weill Cornell's vision for the Belfer Research Building — opening in January — as a hub for multidisciplinary biomedical research and recruit the world's best and brightest scientists to advance research and treatment of some of the most formidable health challenges, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and Alzheimer's diseases. Funds raised by the campaign also will support the education of Weill Cornell's students, who as the next generation of physicians and scientists will pioneer medicine's newest frontiers.

The Weills' transformative $100 million gift is devoted to a new center that will investigate diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders: the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Center for Metabolic Health. Weill Cornell has received more than $50 million in additional gifts for the Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign, bringing it halfway to its total campaign goal.

"Joan and I have had the honor and privilege to contribute to Weill Cornell Medical College, helping to sustain this extraordinary institution as one of the world's leaders in biomedical research," says Mr. Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers. "We are immensely proud of what Weill Cornell has achieved — and what more we can accomplish in the years to come."

Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives

The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Center for Metabolic Health will employ cross-disciplinary expertise and cutting-edge technology against diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Weill Cornell scientists are using stem cells, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, proteomics, biorepositories and nutritional research to understand the molecular underpinnings of these diseases and then translate these discoveries into new therapeutic approaches. All the while, they are encouraging behavioral changes to enhance health.

The campaign will support the medical college's unique research and clinical activities around the most pressing public health scourges of the 21st century — chronic diseases that have eclipsed infections as the leading causes of illness and death. Campaign disease and research priority areas include:

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome
• Neurological disorders
• Children's health and internal medicine
• Precision medicine
• Regenerative medicine

The Weills' generous philanthropy and enduring dedication to advancing medical discoveries have left an indelible mark on Weill Cornell and the patients it serves, beginning with their groundbreaking $100 million gift that in 1998 renamed the institution Weill Cornell Medical College. Just four years later, the Weills gave another $100 million gift to support the Advancing the Clinical Mission capital campaign, launched to transform the patient experience and enhance medical education. And in 2007, to further the Discoveries that Make a Difference campaign and position Weill Cornell at the vanguard of biomedical research, the Weills pledged an unprecedented $250 million. That gift is believed to be the single largest ever given to a medical school and was notably fulfilled with a cash payment in 2009 — a time of global economic instability. With today's gift, the Weills have given more than $600 million to Weill Cornell Medical College and Cornell University. The Weills' total philanthropy is now approaching $1 billion.

"Joan and Sandy's philanthropy inspires others to invest in science and medicine that will transform health in the 21st century," says Robert J. Appel, a member of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers and co-chairman of the Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign. "The immense generosity of all of our donors will enable Weill Cornell to maximize its impact on education, research and patient care."

"We are incredibly excited to have hit the halfway mark in this essential campaign," adds Jeffrey Feil, a member of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers and co-chairman of Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives. "There is no greater need than speeding medical discoveries made at the bench to effective and innovative treatments at the patient's bedside."

In addition to biomedical research, the campaign is dedicated to enhancing medical education at Weill Cornell through student scholarships, support for faculty engaged in teaching medical students, augmenting the clinical experience and buttressing research technologies and services.

Bridging Discoveries

This campaign follows the successful, recently completed Discoveries that Make a Difference campaign, which raised $1.3 billion in less than seven years and included 152 gifts of $1 million or more. That campaign — believed to the largest fundraising effort ever undertaken by a medical school when it was launched in 2006 — will enable Weill Cornell to rapidly translate breakthrough research findings into the most advanced therapies for patients, with the Belfer Research Building as the headquarters for these translational medical initiatives.

The Discoveries that Make a Difference campaign facilitated the successful recruitment of the world's best and brightest minds, whose pioneering research has led to new insights into the biology of disease and cutting-edge therapies. Among those scientists are cancer researchers Dr. Cantley, Dr. Ari Melnick and Dr. Paraskevi Giannakakou, as well as neuroscientist Dr. Gregory Petsko. Dr. Cantley discovered a signaling pathway that explains the growth of cells in prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Dr. Melnick is decoding the instructions that guide a cancer cell's behavior to better understand why tumors behave the ways they do. Dr. Giannakakou's research focuses on cancer biology and how chemotherapy attacks tumors. And Dr. Petsko is studying the behaviors of enzymes to uncover what causes Alzheimer's disease. This new campaign will continue Weill Cornell's efforts to attract top-tier scientists who are making tangible advances on these health priorities.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist Hospital. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

Updated January 2014