Cold Spring Harbor, NY - September 19, 2014 - On September 14, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) held the 13th annual Women's Partnership for Science luncheon, a summer staple among New York's female philanthropists who support biomedical research. Since 2002, the event has raised $1.3 million for pioneering research on the genetic causes of cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders as well as innovative genetic education programs.
Guest speaker Anne Churchland, Ph.D., neuroscientist and CSHL assistant professor, described the promise of the research done at the Laboratory. "The ground-breaking neuroscience research that’s happening here – and the innovative spirit that drives it - has the potential to fundamentally change how people think about the brain,"said Dr. Churchland.Her research aims to understand how sensory information – what we see, hear, and feel – is stored and interpreted by neurons in the brain. Her work will offer insights into mental disorders where these processes are disrupted, such as autism and schizophrenia.
"Dr. Anne Churchland came to CSHL in 2010 and rapidly established a productive and exciting research program in her own laboratory. One of the top early career neuroscientists in the country, she is also raising two young children here in the community. With resources like an on-site day care facility, CSHL is proud to offer a workplace environment that gives scientists like Anne the support they need to be successful," said CSHL's president, Bruce Stillman, Ph.D., who hosted the luncheon at Airslie, the president's house on the Laboratory's scenic campus.
The event, which drew 240 attendees from the New York metropolitan area, was co-chaired by Elizabeth Ainslie, Gabrielle Bacon, Lori Bahnik, the Geier Foundation – Hope Geier Smith, Sonia Jauhar, M.D., Virginia Knott, Nancy Abeles Marks, Mickie Nagel, Jamie Nicholls, Louise Parent, Dr. Marilyn Simons and Cynthia Stebbins.
Banfi Vintners, longstanding supporters of the Women's Partnership for Science, generously donated the wines for the annual luncheon.
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for the impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners. Today, CSHL's multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 600 researchers and technicians strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year to its Long Island campus and its China center. For more information, visit cshl.edu.
