ITHACA, NY--Cornell University announced that a $100 million gift given by alumni Joan and Sanford Weill to the medical college and graduate school of medical sciences will support the college's strategic plan to strengthen its research capacity in three critical areas: structural biology, genetic medicine, and neuroscience.
The university announced the investment in these initiatives will provide a new focus for interdisciplinary collaborations across traditional department lines and within the medical college's affiliates; bring the college a critical mass of specialist expertise and equipment; and provide high-quality support to the many existing clinical and basic research departments now investigating new molecular biological and genetic techniques. Investments will include 30 new faculty members in the targeted research areas. The university said it would also upgrade and expand its basic science research lab space, establish new endowed faculty positions, provide scholarships, and update faculty and student living accommodations.