January 28, 2008 - 1:00am
By Nathan Sermonis
In an effort to expand stem cell research programs across the state, Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Empire State Stem Cell Board recently awarded $14.5 million worth of research grants to 25 New York based institutions, including nearly $2 million, for Cornell's Ithaca campus and the Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City.
According to Dr. Shahin Rafii, director of Weill’s Ansary Stem Cell Center for Regenerative Medicine, these awards are a promising step in the right direction, providing much needed funds to a highly underfinanced field.