In 2011, financiers Russell Carson and James Simons jointly launched the New York Genome Center. This new consortium encourages hospitals, research groups, universities, and medical schools in the region to work together to advance biological research and improve treatment of patients via genomic medicine. Founding members include Weill Cornell University, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rockefeller University, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and others. Both men served on the group’s board to guide it during its early years. And five years later they put up big gifts to build a nest egg for the nonprofit. They announced that if the center raised $100 million over the next three years, Simons would put up $80 million and Carson $20 million to double the pot. The consortium now oversees an extensive research agenda, including investigations of specific diseases like glioblastoma and rheumatoid arthritis, plus work at a dozen separate specialized labs scattered around the New York metro area.
- New York Genome Center, nygenome.org