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Congresswoman McCarthy observes appropriations in use at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy visited Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Monday, June 14 for the first time since obtaining government appropriations to launch the Center for Women’s Genomics and the DNA Biopsy Project for breast and ovarian cancers at the Laurel Hollow facility. During her visit, she met with Dr. Bruce Stillman, President and CEO of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Dr. James D. Watson, Nobel laureate and Chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; and some of the scientists directly involved in the projects she has fought to promote.

“Congresswoman McCarthy’s effort to obtain funding for these is vital and brings us much closer to an understanding of breast and ovarian cancer,” Dr. Stillman said.

Using advanced technology, The Center for Women’s Cancer Genomics at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory will accelerate the discovery of genes that cause breast and ovarian cancer and will validate their usefulness as diagnostic and prognostic tools and as drug targets.

CSHL researchers are currently using ROMA technology to find the genetic basis for the difference in survival in two groups of women diagnosed with stage 2-breast cancer and treated similarly, but who either survived or died within a year. These results will be used to develop the “DNA Biopsy” that can predict which cancers are likely to spread and should therefore be treated aggressively, which cancers will respond to standard treatments, and which should not be treated because they are benign.

Written by: Communications Department | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455

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About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,000 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program annually hosts more than 12,000 scientists. The Laboratory’s education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and the DNA Learning Center with programs for middle, high school, and undergraduate students and teachers. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu