Hunter Researchers to Collaborate in New, Cutting-Edge Weill Cornell Medical College Belfer Research Building on East Side

L-R: Weill Cornell Medical College Dean Laurie H. Glimcher and Hunter College President Jennifer Raab

On Thursday, October 24^th, Hunter College President Jennifer Raab joined with Weill Cornell Medical College Dean Laurie H. Glimcher to announce an innovative partnership between the two institutions for collaborative research. The agreement, in which Hunter will purchase the 4^th floor of the new Belfer Research Building, extends Hunter's and Weill Cornell's fruitful history of public-private partnership and their collaboration on cutting-edge research and training.

Hunter's laboratory research space will be fitted out in the coming months and open in 2014.

"This partnership between a top public and a top private institution is something that rarely - if ever - happens," said President Raab. "This is a physical expression of a long-standing relationship between two institutions that will advance scientific study and train the next generation of scientists. We are incredibly fortunate to have this first-class space to work side-by-side with Weill Cornell."

L-R: Sanford Weill, chair of the Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers; Weill Cornell Medical College Dean Laurie H. Glimcher; and Hunter College President Jennifer Raab

Also celebrating the announcement were Sanford Weill, chair of the Weill Cornell Medical Board of Overseers, and benefactors Robert and Renee Belfer.

The 480,000-square-foot, 16-story building will be devoted to translational bench-to-bedside research targeting some of the world's most daunting health challenges, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, children's health, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and global health and infectious diseases. The building is currently under construction at 413 East 69^th Street and will be completed in January.