Huntsville, Ala. — The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has created a unique fundraising opportunity that allows community members to be part of the collaboration conversations held every day on the campus.
Donors will have the opportunity to name the tables and chairs in the HudsonAlpha atrium, a place where scientists, entrepreneurs and educators come together to share ideas that lead to groundbreaking discoveries.
The “Idea Chairs” and “Idea Tables” will represent not only the collaborations on the campus but also those with HudsonAlpha’s many friends and supporters.
Former congressman Robert “Bud” Cramer, a supporter of HudsonAlpha since its inception, is one of the first people to name an Idea Chair.“There are so many amazing ideas and so many surprising developments that occur every day as people from the Institute, people from our associate companies, and guests share a meal or coffee around these tables,” said Lynne Berry, Vice President for Advancement at HudsonAlpha. “This space is one of the reasons HudsonAlpha works so well. I have never worked in a place where the physical space did so much to further the mission of the organization.”
“HudsonAlpha will change the health of our community and of the rest of the world,” said Cramer. “I embrace any opportunity to help them. We need to encourage more people to do so.”
Marc and Sheryl Bendickson have also purchased an Idea Chair in support of HudsonAlpha’s research. The couple is looking forward to the newly established genomic medicine clinic and the Information is Power breast and ovarian cancer genetic testing initiative.
“The research done so far at HudsonAlpha has changed the face of science. Now with the clinic and the genetic testing, we will see how HudsonAlpha is directly impacting patients,” said Mr. Bendickson.
“HudsonAlpha was challenged to offer genetic breast cancer screening to the entire community– and accepted the challenge. That says a lot about the Institute. When a challenge is there, they’re going to meet it,” said Mrs. Bendickson. “
By creating a unique physical space that breaks down the physical distance between science and entrepreneurship, HudsonAlpha increases the likelihood of this transfer
“We have created something really special at HudsonAlpha. By creating a unique physical space and breaking down barriers between scientists and entrepreneurs, we are moving science to real-world applications more quickly. I’m thrilled to be able to share that excitement through the ‘Ideas’ initiative,” said Richard Myers, PhD, President and Scientific Director of HudsonAlpha.
HudsonAlpha Idea Tables and Idea Chairs are available for anyone to name and range from $50,000 to $200,000. To support HudsonAlpha’s mission through this unique opportunity, contact Lynne Berry at lberry@hudsonalpha.org.
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 challenges. Founded in 2008, its mission is four-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; bringing genomic medicine into clinical care; 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 nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus encourage collaborations that produce advances in medicine and agriculture. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and includes 29 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit: http://hudsonalpha.org/.
HudsonAlpha Media Contact:
Margetta Thomas
256-327-0425
mthomas@hudsonalpha.org
