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$150,000 Gift from Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Supports UAlbany's Gen*NY*Sis Center
Leaders tour East Campus facility

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980

	Daniel Hogarty, left, presents a $150,000 donation from the Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation for the Gen*NY*Sis Center. He is joined by Senator Bruno and President Hall. (Click for larger image.)

ALBANY, N.Y. (July 26, 2005) -- Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation President Daniel J. Hogarty Jr. today awarded $150,000 to the University at Albany to aid in the development of its Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics. Accepting on behalf of the University was President Kermit L. Hall, accompanied by New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and State University of New York Acting Chancellor John R. Ryan. The gift, part of the Center's Fund for Memory and Hope, will help equip the facility and support cutting-edge research. Bruno, honorary chair of the Fund for Memory and Hope, was instrumental in securing $29.9 million in state support to help launch the Center.

The University at Albany's Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics is committed to research that will lead to finding a cure for cancer. Located on the University at Albany Foundation'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 square foot building. Funds are being raised from the private sector for the Center's Fund for Memory and Hope, to be used for special equipment and outfitting the needs of the research program.

"We are deeply grateful for the generous and timely support of The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation," said Hall. "In the fight against cancer, each effort is valued, and this one greatly aids our scientists in their research efforts to discover the genetic origins of cancer, with the goal of finding a cure."

"I'd like to thank Dan Hogarty and The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation for their partnership and generous donation to the Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics," said Bruno. "The Capital Region is fortunate to have some of the best and brightest researchers in the field coming to the Center to develop innovative technology in the fight against cancer. Support from the business community is critically important for the success of this Center and $150,000 will go a long way toward reaching our goals."

"The UAlbany Gen*NY*Sis Center has brought nationally recognized cancer researchers to our region and will also bring hope to the many people facing a cancer diagnosis," said Hogarty. "The work done by the Gen*NY*Sis Center staff will have far reaching medical research benefits as well as local benefits for the Capital Region economy. It is our hope that this grant award will encourage others to support the excellent work being done here."

"Through the generous support of state leaders like Senator Bruno, and service-minded individuals and institutions such as Dan Hogarty and The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, the outstanding faculty at the University at Albany can conduct the type of research that one day may lead to a cure for cancer," said Ryan. "Dan Hogarty donated so much of his time on the SUNY Board of Trustees and the university benefited greatly from his wisdom and experience. I am very grateful for his continued support and appreciate the generosity of The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation."

"This building is a symbol of hope for all those afflicted with cancer," said Paulette McCormick, director of the Center and professor of biomedical science. "The support of The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation is instrumental in our research efforts. We are thankful for the continued support by our community members for this building and the Fund for Memory and Hope."

Hall, Bruno, Ryan and Hogarty also toured the facility with McCormick. The facility is located on the University at Albany's East Campus in Rensselaer, adjacent to the School of Public Health. The Center, which is scheduled to be opened in late September, will combine the University's research expertise in genomics and biomedical sciences with state-of-the-art technology in a committed effort to discover the genetic origins of cancer that will lead to finding a cure for the disease.

Several scientists have joined the Center and embarked on ground-breaking research:

Julio Aguirre-Ghiso, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences, is studying ways to stop the metastatic growth of cancer cells, supported by a $1.4 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.

Thomas Begley was awarded $200,000 through the James D. Watson Investigator program to research cellular responses to chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat cancer.

Douglas S. Conklin, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences, received a $450,000 award from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (DOD BCRP) for "Functional Genomic Analysis of Breast Cancer Cell Tumorigenicity Using a Novel Gene Silencing Resource."

Scott Tenenbaum, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences, is studying how and why genes are regulated in human cells. He received a $410,000 grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the NIH to aid in his research efforts.

Mary Polsinello Hanley made the first gift to the Fund for Memory and Hope in honor of her late son, James, who died of brain cancer in 2002. The Wall of Memory and Hope, the centerpiece of the new building's entrance lobby, will display dedicated plaques in memory of cancer victims, in hope for a cure or in gratitude for the continued health of survivors of the disease.