CTI BioPharma Corp. (CTI BioPharma) and The Tisch Cancer Institute (TCI) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai today announced the establishment of a new $1.5 million research endowment fund - the CTI BioPharma International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - intended to foster international collaboration in translational research and support advancements in the fields of hematology and immunobiology.
"Establishing this endowed international visiting fellowship to Mount Sinai's Tisch Cancer Institute stems from our commitment to translate scientific discoveries into innovative, patient-tolerant therapies that treat and cure those with blood-related cancers," said James Bianco, MD, president and CEO of CTI BioPharma. "As a student at Mount Sinai, I witnessed how this institution helped change the future of cancer medicine with innovative ideas and I believe this endowment will help produce new research breakthroughs and uncover better ways of treating patients with blood-related cancers."
"Mount Sinai is committed to cultivating talented researchers," said Steven Burakoff, MD, Director of TCI and the Lillian and Henry Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Endowment funding is essential in this quest to propel discovery of new cures and to move research and clinical programs forward. We applaud CTI BioPharma for their support in this quest to bring innovative cures from the bench to patients."
This fellowship and endowment will provide seed funding to support the research efforts of promising, young physician researchers from around the world. Mount Sinai will receive endowment funding over three years to identify and select research projects from medical researchers currently working at international institutions based outside the U.S. Both CTI BioPharma and other institutions or organizations can donate additional funding to the endowment at any time, upon the approval of Mount Sinai.
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About CTI BioPharma
CTI BioPharma Corp. (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development, and commercialization of novel targeted therapies covering a spectrum of blood-related cancers that offer a unique benefit to patients and healthcare providers. CTI BioPharma has a commercial presence in Europe and a late-stage development pipeline, including pacritinib, CTI BioPharma's lead product candidate, which is currently being studied in a Phase 3 program for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis. CTI BioPharma is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices in London and Milan under the name CTI Life Sciences Limited. For additional information and to sign up for email alerts and get RSS feeds, please visit http://www.ctibiopharma.com.
About the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School at Mount Sinai
The Tisch Cancer Institute (TCI) is a world-class translational cancer institute established in December 2007. TCI has recruited more than 30 acclaimed physicians and researchers specializing in basic research, clinical research, and population science; built outstanding programs in solid tumor oncology; enhanced existing robust programs in hematological malignancies; and advanced the study of cancer immunology and vaccine therapy. The completion of the Leon and Norma Hess Center for Science and Medicine in 2012 enabled the recruitment of 25 additional cancer researchers on two full research floors, with 48,000 square feet of space dedicated to cancer research. In 2015, TCI was named a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. TCI joined an elite group of 69 cancer institutions nationwide that have earned this designation, which is based on scientific excellence, robust clinical research, and beneficial community impact. To learn more about clinical trials at Mount Sinai, visit http://icahn.mssm.edu/research/clinical-trials.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services--from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.
The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2014-2015 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Sources: CTI BioPharma Corp. and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine's Tisch Cancer Institute