Sen. Shelby visited HudsonAlpha to discuss the Institute’s genomic work and impact on the state of Alabama
Huntsville, Ala. — Today, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby visited the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a nonprofit institute co-locating world leaders in genomics research with forward-thinking entrepreneurs and inventive educators. During the visit, Shelby met with HudsonAlpha’s leadership and toured the Institute.
“HudsonAlpha is a dynamic organization that is well-respected throughout the country. The world is moving toward personal, precision medicine and HudsonAlpha is leading the way,” said Shelby. “I was pleased to have the opportunity today to see firsthand how Huntsville’s biotech community impacts our state’s economy and contributes to new discoveries in life sciences.”
Shelby has long been a champion for the life sciences in the state of Alabama and the nation as a whole. He is a leading voice on the importance of medical research and translating discoveries into applications that improve the human condition. Serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, as well as a key member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, Shelby holds key positions relating to the future of the life sciences in the United States.
“Senator Shelby is a friend of HudsonAlpha and a tremendous asset for the state of Alabama. We are so pleased to have the opportunity today to show the Senator the progress we have made but more importantly, where we are going,” said Richard M. Myers, Ph.D., HudsonAlpha’s President and Science Director.
Among the topics discussed were the recently announced establishment of the Center for Personal Genomics as well as HudsonAlpha’s economic impact on the state of Alabama. The Center for Personal Genomics at HudsonAlpha will use genomic sequencing to help bridge the gap between the results of research and the clinical impact to benefit human health. Also, in a study through the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the Institute has generated more than $1.3 billion in economic impact for the State of Alabama since the groundbreaking of the Institute’s flagship building.
About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological problems. Its mission is three-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; fostering biotech entrepreneurship; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus allow serendipity to yield results in medicine and agriculture. Since opening in 2008, HudsonAlpha, under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, has built a name for itself in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and boasts 26 biotech companies on campus.
