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Dr. Louis A. Peña appointed Director, Program in Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship & Associate Professor of Practice

The Center for Biotechnology has announced the appointment of Dr. Louis A. Peña as Director of the new Program in Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Additionally, Dr. Peña has been appointed as Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the College of Business at Stony Brook University.

The Professor of Practice will steward the University’s Advanced Graduate Certificate in Life Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which was established under Empire State Development’s Life Science Entrepreneur Development award, and further develop educational and experiential learning initiatives. The Director of the Program in Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship will build upon the Center’s efforts to synergize technology and business accelerator activities with opportunities for students to gain real-world technology commercialization experience.

Prior to joining the Center for Biotechnology and Stony Brook University, Dr. Peña held leadership positions in both industry and academia. He is experienced with startup and early stage companies. Commercializing scientific discoveries he made at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Dr. Peña co-developed a biotech startup that took a biomaterial from idea to clinical trials and acquisition. He later served as Chief Scientific Officer of a biopharma Contract Research Organization. Dr. Peña has also consulted for technology startups in bioagriculture, medical devices, medical imaging, and energy, supporting technology assessment, market assessment, and business strategy.

“We are excited to have Louis join the Center for Biotechnology and Stony Brook University to further our efforts of expanding entrepreneurial education in the life sciences” Diane Fabel, Director of Operations at the Center for Biotechnology said. She continued “His industry involvement, coupled with his academic experiences allow him to bring a unique perspective to the role and for students in our programs to benefit from his real-world experience.”

“I am very happy to join the team at the Center for Biotechnology and my colleagues at Stony Brook University. The Center has a great, established foundation of commercialization and education in this sector and I’m eager to further develop these unique and critical programs” Dr. Peña said. “Our goal is to bolster the life science commercialization knowledge of students graduating from New York universities. At one level, this will help entrepreneurs gain the mix of skills and expertise needed to successfully guide innovative life science startups along the path to commercial viability. At a broader level, this will help with the biotech workforce development of our region and state for those who may not want to start companies but want to understand the sector in great depth so they can secure well-paying and/or leadership positions in this sector.”

Download a PDF of the announcement here.

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                    [post_content] => 

The Redesignation brings $10 million in funding to drive innovation, company formation, and economic growth.

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) has announced its re-designated as a Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a recognition that comes with $1 million in annual funding over the next ten years. The $10 million commitment underscores the CFB’s leadership in accelerating life science innovation, supporting early-stage technology development, and fueling economic growth through start-up formation and industry partnerships.

“The Center for Biotechnology has served as a critical bridge between academic research and commercial success,” said Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology. “This re-designation ensures we can continue to expand our impact, helping innovators bring breakthrough technology to market and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in the bioscience industry.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “NYSTAR’s Centers for Advanced Technology are vital to our strategic efforts to grow New York’s economy and the state’s greater innovation ecosystem. By investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state.”

The Center for Biotechnology is located on the campus of Stony Brook University (SBU), the flagship research institution within the prestigious State University of New York (SUNY) system. Stony Brook University is recognized as a national and global leader in life sciences research, biomedical innovation, and clinical care. Situated on Long Island, New York, Stony Brook has built a formidable reputation as a hub for cutting-edge scientific discovery and translational medicine. The Center for Biotechnology builds upon these strengths by providing cutting-edge programming and competitive financial support to advance biomedical innovation and emerging company growth.

“We are excited to build upon the successful foundation of strong entrepreneurial networks, infrastructure, and programming that we have built over the last four decades” said Dr. Diane Fabel, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Biotechnology. “The impacts we have had during our last designation period include over $1B in total economic impact with more than 1000 jobs created, and driving more than $315M in follow-on funding. We are excited to see those numbers continue to grow when we celebrate fifty years of hard work at the end of this redesignation period”.

As part of the New York State CAT program, the CFB will continue to work with emerging and established companies across the state to de-risk early-stage technologies, advance both technology and company value, foster public-private collaboration, and provide critical infrastructure for the region’s growing life science ecosystem. Additionally, the CFB team will continue its efforts to develop a life sciences workforce to support the region's bio-innovation economy with a specific emphasis on sectors deemed important to the NYS economy.

Dowload the full press release here.

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Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled plans for New York BioGenesis Park, a groundbreaking $430 million Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Innovation Hub in Nassau County, Long Island. To be developed by The Albanese Organization, Inc., this state-of-the-art facility would catalyze CGT research, development, clinical manufacturing, and commercialization across New York State. With a historic $150 million state investment—the largest nationwide for a cell and gene therapy hub—NYBGP would accelerate the delivery of new therapies from lab to patient in New York's diverse communities. This transformative hub aims to establish New York as the leading global destination for CGT innovation, driving economic growth, attracting top talent, and revolutionizing patient care statewide and beyond.

The Center for Biotechnology is thrilled to be counted as a partner in this effort, and is looking forward to working with our colleagues in the initiative to help catalyze and accelerate life-changing therapies.

New York BioGenesis Park is envisioned as a cutting-edge, full-service campus dedicated to advancing cell and gene therapies and accelerating their commercialization. At full build-out, the 700,000-square-foot park would create an end-to-end Cell and Gene Therapy innovation and supply center, featuring interconnected areas for public engagement, research, manufacturing, and collaboration.

A cornerstone of New York BioGenesis Park is its incubator, supported by a $50 million investment from ESD's Long Island Investment Fund. This facility will empower early-stage therapeutic developers by offering state-of-the-art wet lab space, shared equipment, office space, and other essential resources. This nurturing environment will provide Cell and Gene Therapy companies with access to specialized equipment, mentoring, and stage-appropriate financial guidance. As a critical component of New York BioGenesis Park, the incubator is poised to catalyze the growth of promising Cell and Gene Therapy companies by providing them with resources and support, unlocking their potential for innovation and success.

New York BioGenesis Park would foster strong ties with academic and medical institutions throughout New York, creating a robust ecosystem for Cell and Gene Therapy innovation. Collaborating with the Empire State Cellular Therapy Consortium and world-class institutions like Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institutes, Northwell Health, Roswell Park, Stony Brook University, Weill Cornell, Columbia University and others around the state, New York BioGenesis Park would enhance research synergies and accelerate medical breakthroughs. This ecosystem would bring together experts in advanced Cell and Gene Therapy therapies, offering specialized facilities, services, and resources to both tenants and collaborating institutions. By facilitating cutting-edge science, innovative technology development and novel approaches to clinical trials, New York BioGenesis Park would ensure New York's institutions remain globally competitive in groundbreaking Cell and Gene Therapy research and commercialization.

Read the press release of Governor Hochul's announcement here:
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-launches-next-phase-long-islands-nation-leading-cell-and-gene-therapy

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To accelerate the development of the next generation of masks, BARDA and NIOSH have partnered to launch the Mask Innovation Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Mask. The Mask Innovation Challenge aims to improve the comfort, utility, and protective capabilities of available community masks that are worn during day-to-day activities when physical distancing is not possible. This competition is designed to support the development of mask designs that meet predefined performance standards, while providing increased comfort and durability to the average consumer.

Can you help build a better mask – one that people are interested in wearing? You will have helped solved one of the biggest problems of the day! The mask design innovation challenge puts up a $500,000 prize purse for new mask designs that overcome the common reasons people don’t wear masks in the current pandemic. Phase 1 is design, due 5 p.m. April 21, 2021; phase 2 is testing of prototypes by NIOSH scientists and partner labs. Learn more at drive.hhs.gov/mask_challenge.html and then see Challenge.gov for the rules, criteria, timelines and how to submit.

Mask Innovation Challenge Event 4/15

Don't miss the Mask Innovation Challenge event at the Venture Café at UCSC on Thursday, April 15, 2021: "Why we need to innovate on the non-medical grade face mask" from 3-4pm EDT. HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will discuss comfort, utility, and protective factor of current non-medical grade face masks as well as opportunities to innovate on these designs.

Event link*: https://venturecafephiladelphia.org/event/why-we-need-to-innovate-on-the-non-medical-grade-face-mask/

8this link can be used to access the event on the day of the talk, no registration required)

[post_title] => BARDA: Mask Innovation Challenge [post_excerpt] => Can you help build a better mask – one that people are interested in wearing? The mask design innovation challenge puts up a $500,000 prize purse for new mask designs that overcome the common reasons people don’t wear masks in the current pandemic. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => barda-mask-innovation-challenge [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-09-20 16:13:51 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-09-20 16:13:51 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3750 [menu_order] => 48 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3266 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_content] => Two important updates regarding upcoming BARDA DRIVe funding opportunities:  Drive Special Instructions – Due May 28! White papers, quad chart, and application form for the DRIVe special instructions to the BARDA BAA are due by 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday May 28th, 2019. Focus areas are: • 15.1: Advanced Research and Development of Sepsis Diagnostics and Devices • 15.2: Post-sepsis Monitoring • 16.1: On-Person, Wearable, and Biosensing Devices (Host Response and Direct Pathogen Detection) Steps to apply: 1.Review Solicitation BAA-18-100-SOL-00003 on fbo.gov. 2.Schedule a meeting with the ENACT or Solving Sepsis team (strongly encouraged). 3.Download the DRIVe Special Instructions Submission Form.* 4.Complete the PDF form, Quad Chart, White Paper, and Addendum (ROM cost estimate). 5. Email your submission to DRIVeContracting@hhs.gov by 3:00PM ET on May 28th. 6. You will receive an email notification confirming receipt within 5 business days. DRIVe personnel will review your white paper as described in the solicitation. 7. DRIVe personnel will notify you of the outcome of that review and may invite you to submit a full proposal. *You must download the PDF, as filling it out in a browser window will disable some key functionality. General DRIVe EZ-BAA - Deadline Extended  The deadline for DRIVe’s EZ-BAA has been extended to 3:00 PM ET on November 15th, 2019. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with a response as early as 30 days after submission. DRIVe has a new online portal for submitting EZ-BAA. Note: Companies must register for a profile in the online portal here, it can take up to 1 business day to account to be created. [post_title] => DRIVe Special Instructions & EZ-BAA Updates [post_excerpt] => DRIVe special instructions to the BARDA BAA are due by 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday May 28th! General application deadline for EZ-BAA extended until November 15th. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => drive-special-instructions-ez-baa-updates [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3266 [menu_order] => 95 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2484 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2016-11-18 18:37:44 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-11-18 18:37:44 [post_content] => In the recent issue of Science, Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology, A SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University gave good advice on customizing one’s faculty applications. Among Dr. Rubin’s wise words, “In formulating your application cover letter, invest the same care and rigor you would when submitting a grant proposal to a funding agency. Take the time to help the hiring committee understand why you’re applying. Why here? Why now? Why us?” Read the full article here. [post_title] => "Do Your Homework" [post_excerpt] => From Science Magazine: Job applicants need to articulate “why an investment in you will prove to be an investment for us” - Center for Biotechnology Director, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => do-your-homework [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2016-12-22 17:27:42 [post_modified_gmt] => 2016-12-22 17:27:42 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=2484 [menu_order] => 160 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 5 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4906 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2025-07-17 10:27:09 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-17 14:27:09 [post_content] =>

The Redesignation brings $10 million in funding to drive innovation, company formation, and economic growth.

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) has announced its re-designated as a Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a recognition that comes with $1 million in annual funding over the next ten years. The $10 million commitment underscores the CFB’s leadership in accelerating life science innovation, supporting early-stage technology development, and fueling economic growth through start-up formation and industry partnerships.

“The Center for Biotechnology has served as a critical bridge between academic research and commercial success,” said Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology. “This re-designation ensures we can continue to expand our impact, helping innovators bring breakthrough technology to market and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in the bioscience industry.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “NYSTAR’s Centers for Advanced Technology are vital to our strategic efforts to grow New York’s economy and the state’s greater innovation ecosystem. By investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state.”

The Center for Biotechnology is located on the campus of Stony Brook University (SBU), the flagship research institution within the prestigious State University of New York (SUNY) system. Stony Brook University is recognized as a national and global leader in life sciences research, biomedical innovation, and clinical care. Situated on Long Island, New York, Stony Brook has built a formidable reputation as a hub for cutting-edge scientific discovery and translational medicine. The Center for Biotechnology builds upon these strengths by providing cutting-edge programming and competitive financial support to advance biomedical innovation and emerging company growth.

“We are excited to build upon the successful foundation of strong entrepreneurial networks, infrastructure, and programming that we have built over the last four decades” said Dr. Diane Fabel, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Biotechnology. “The impacts we have had during our last designation period include over $1B in total economic impact with more than 1000 jobs created, and driving more than $315M in follow-on funding. We are excited to see those numbers continue to grow when we celebrate fifty years of hard work at the end of this redesignation period”.

As part of the New York State CAT program, the CFB will continue to work with emerging and established companies across the state to de-risk early-stage technologies, advance both technology and company value, foster public-private collaboration, and provide critical infrastructure for the region’s growing life science ecosystem. Additionally, the CFB team will continue its efforts to develop a life sciences workforce to support the region's bio-innovation economy with a specific emphasis on sectors deemed important to the NYS economy.

Dowload the full press release here.

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Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology

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