FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute has earned the coveted National Cancer Institute Cancer Center designation. Winship is the first medical facility in Georgia to earn this distinction. As an NCI designated center, Winship joins an elite group of 65 cancer centers nationwide that are on the forefront of the battle against cancer.
Winship's NCI designation will benefit patients through increased access to new clinical trials and technologies that are available through NCI-designated cancer centers.
"We are very proud of Emory's Winship Cancer Institute for achieving this important designation," says Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. "Cancer strikes more than 35,000 Georgians each year, and through initiatives like the Georgia Cancer Coalition and the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), we are working hard to eliminate this disease. Winship has served as a model in establishing collaborative research programs and in working statewide to address the pressing issues related to treatment, education and access to care for cancer patients."
As an NCI-designated center, Winship will receive $4,285,191 in funding over the next three years to grow scientific research. The NCI will then review Emory's designation for a five-year renewal. According to the NCI, a designated cancer center's research components are the core of a much larger assembly of cancer activities, including clinical care, support services and education, extending the benefits of research directly to patients, their families, and the general public.
"This designation is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the hard work and dedication that is exhibited by faculty and staff throughout the Emory system," says Brian Leyland-Jones, MD, PhD, executive director of Winship, associate vice president for health affairs for the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and a GRA Eminent Scholar. "The designation enables us to continue to develop research initiatives that will result in new therapies for patients throughout Georgia and beyond."
James Wagner, president of Emory University, says, "Winship's culture of collaboration and discovery will continue to grow thanks to NCI's designation. There are many people to thank for their dedication, involvement and belief in attaining this goal. Chief among these are the Woodruff Foundation and the State of Georgia who deserve recognition for their vision and steadfast support.
And while this is an important day for Emory, it is cancer patients and their family members, whether they live in Georgia or beyond our borders, who are the true beneficiaries of this designation."
Bill Todd, President & CEO
