Weill Cornell Medicine Launches $1.5B Precision Medicine Campaign

Weill Cornell Medicine announced its $1.5 billion “We’re Changing Medicine” campaign, which intends to advance biomedical innovations in areas such as precision medicine, artificial intelligence, genomics, and machine learning.

The campaign has already received more than $750 million so far from existing benefactors. The funding will support teaching Weill Cornell Medicine’s student body, developing innovative precision medicine treatments, and improving quality of care through biomedical innovations.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how important medicine is to protect and enhance the health of our patients,” Augustine M.K. Choi, MD, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University, said in the announcement.

“Our accomplished physicians and scientists are committed to treating the whole patient for their whole lifespan, applying cutting-edge science and a personalized and evidence-based approach to prevent and treat disease. Because of our generous donors, Weill Cornell Medicine is uniquely positioned to meet today’s health care challenges and change medicine—because we can and must.”

Weill Cornell Medicine will invest in an updated biomedical research facility at the Belfer Research Building and in the development of groundbreaking technologies in data science, artificial intelligence, and genomics. The research aims to shed light on disease origins and the development of precision medicine treatments.

Additionally, a $160 million gift established a scholarship for medical students that will provide recipients with debt-free education, and a $55 million gift enabled the construction of a new residence hall.

In analyzing the human genome as well as social determinants of health, researchers plan to form a precision health enterprise that quantifies each patient’s individual risk levels and establishes disease prevention techniques.

The campaign will also address women’s health, infectious diseases, and diseases that impact the brain, heart, and metabolic system.

“Enhancing the [healthcare] patients receive is one of the most tangible ways we can effect change in society,” said Cornell University Board of Trustees Chairman Robert S. Harrison. “This auspicious milestone will embolden Weill Cornell Medicine’s distinguished doctors, researchers and trainees to continue their vital mission to change medicine.”

Advances in precision medicine research show promise for the future of personalized treatment and disease prevention. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles recently received a $2 million grant from the state of California to conduct a three-year study screening children for adverse childhood experiences.

Adverse childhood experiences can negatively impact children from an early age. The study, funded by the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, will research specific biomarkers that point to early-life stress in order to mitigate negative effects.

In addition, Michigan State University recently announced the arrival of two cyclotrons, or particle accelerators, which will be used in the development of precision medicine treatments for cancer patients. The cyclotrons will assist in manufacturing radiopharmaceuticals, which deliver targeted radiation therapy to cancer cells, reducing the side effects of traditional radiation treatment.

Precision medicine has garnered the attention of many major healthcare institutions and investors, and the method’s success stories continue to show promise for the future of chronic disease treatment and prevention.