AMDeC

Building Preparedness

Answering the call for greater bioterrorism preparedness in the aftermath of 9/11, AMDeC marshaled the collective resources of New York’s academic health centers and research institutions. The New York region had originally prepared several competing grants for a single, coveted NIH regional biodefense grant. AMDeC, through its Center on Bioterrorism, played an integral role in unifying nearly 30 pre-eminent biomedical research institutions into single, compelling grant proposal by leveraging the collective power of the region. The resulting Northeast Biodefense Center focuses on identifying and supporting biodefense-related research and facilitating the organization of these resources. The Center was selected for a prestigious, multi-year federal grant in excess of $9 million per year. Those funds have been leveraged into several hundred scholarly publications, breakthroughs in infectious disease research areas from influenza to AIDS, and increased funding. The Center also fosters scientific discovery by convening local stakeholders in biodefense, including government, public health, healthcare and private industry.