Washington, DC - Suffolk County will soon be home to one of the premier cancer research centers in the country following passage of a bill including $1.1 million secured by Congressman Tim Bishop and Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton. Funding will be used to establish the National Center for Cancer Prevention through Remote Biological Sensing, which will allow researchers at Stony Brook University to expand ground-breaking research already conducted at the school.
"Stony Brook University will now be a national leader in the war on cancer," Bishop said. "I am very proud to play a role to help create a new National Center for Cancer Prevention. Given the high cancer rates on Long Island, it is very important that this cutting-edge research will be conducted here in Suffolk County."
"This is great news for Long Island, and especially for Stony Brook University," said Schumer. "Stony Brook is a leader of defense health technology, and will now be a leader in cancer prevention and research as well."
"I am proud that we are making a commitment to both cancer prevention and the health of the men and women serving our nation," said Senator Clinton. "This funding will benefit Stony Brook University and the surrounding local economy," Senator Clinton said.
Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny, President of Stony Brook University commented on the grant. "This funding is critical to the efforts to develop wireless applications for healthcare. It will benefit patients not only on Long Island, but throughout the region and the nation," Dr. Kenny stated.
The Center will study the use of remote biological sensor technology to detect cancer before it becomes a significant threat to patients. Wireless detectors in a patient's body would transmit to medical personnel if cancer is found in an individual. The technology would also deliver medication to the site of a malignancy.
The National Center for Cancer Prevention was initially funded by grants totaling $2 million secured by Bishop in 2005 and 2006.
The funding was included in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill conference report which the House approved late yesterday. The Senate must also approve the bill before being sent to the President and signed into law.
