Congressman Kennedy Announces Over $7.7 Million for State of the Art Biobank at Roswell Park

• Launched in 2003, biobank is one of the first and largest resources of its kind
• Cancer patients and healthy volunteers provide blood/tissue to enable research
• Total investment supporting state-of-the art facility on High Street nearly $10M

Note: This press release was initially issued by the office of U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy and is reproduced here with permission.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) announced $7,731,872 in new federal funding for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to renovate its newly integrated biobank, the Roswell Park Biorepository, made possible through the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Research Facilities Construction Grants.

"I am proud to announce $7,731,872 in new federal funding for the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to renovate its newly integrated biobank," Congressman Kennedy said. "This funding will go toward renovating the new biorepository and positioning Roswell to be at the cutting-edge of studying and preventing cancer. This multimillion dollar grant for Roswell's integrated biobank will be transformational to the health and wellbeing of people in Western New York and beyond for decades to come."

Roswell Park is supporting the project with an additional $1.7 million in its own funds.

"So many of our patients tell us that they want to be part of a healthier future for others, that they want to play an active role in the work to prevent and cure cancer. The Roswell Park Biobank has been central to the work to make cancer research more equitable by reaching out to make sure we respectfully, responsibly invite people from every community and culture to help make cancer research better, and this critical investment of federal funds speeds and supports that work," says Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President and CEO, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"The Roswell Park Biorepository and the specimens that these individuals selflessly provide help cancer researchers to answer important scientific questions, advancing promising new treatments and prevention strategies. These upgrades will dramatically improve the speed, safety, quality, efficiency and equity of our work, making us an even more valuable resource for cancer researchers and patients worldwide," says Christine Ambrosone, PhD, Chair of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Additional information

Congressman Kennedy announced $7,731,872 in funding for the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to renovate its newly integrated biobank, the Roswell Park Biorepository, made possible through the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Research Facilities Construction Grants.

This will be the most advanced biobank in the country dedicated to cancer research, positioning Roswell Park to be at the cutting edge of understanding, preventing, and curing cancer. These new features will include automated ultra-low temperature freezers to store samples for patients, and updated facilities for processing biological samples. This investment will have ripple effects across the country as researchers and medical professionals will be able to request samples, which are paired with clinical and questionnaire data. With access to blood, bone marrow, and remnant tumor tissue samples, this bank unlocks medical research that will benefit patients in Buffalo, and around the world - now and in the future.

Additionally, Dr. Ambrosone and researchers at Roswell Park are committed to health equity and advancing care for and relevant research benefitting underserved communities. Roswell Park has conducted a number of studies, funded by the National Cancer Institute, which banked samples from thousands of Black women with breast cancer to understand why there is a disproportionate risk for more aggressive types of cancer. Having these samples in a state-of-the-art facility will preserve them for years to come and advance our efforts to eradicate health disparities.