Troy, N.Y. — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., the nation’s oldest technological university, are collaborating to further research at the intersection of medicine and engineering.

Under terms of a recently signed agreement, the institutions will jointly undertake research in several areas including nano-medicine, nano-bio materials, smart orthopaedic implants, biomolecular imaging, biocomputation and bioinformatics, bio-MEMS and the development of drug delivery devices.

“This collaboration will accelerate scientific progress by bringing together the strengths of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a top-notch engineering and basic science university, with the translational biomedical research expertise in the Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute,” said Paul DiCorleto, Ph.D., Chairman of the Lerner Research Institute. “These two institutions are highly complementary and multiple areas for collaboration have been identified.” 

Together the Lerner Research Institute and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will develop joint research proposals and secure funding from federal and non-federal funding sources, such as corporations, foundations and private philanthropists.

The collaborating institutions will also establish a visiting scientist program and a summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, the Lerner Research Institute and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute plan to hold joint research retreats, fund a joint seed grant program, offer joint seminars and workshops, and facilitate joint proposals and briefings to the National Institutes of Health in areas of mutual interest.

“As part of the Rensselaer Plan, we have made substantial strategic investments in bioscience, bioengineering, nanotechnology and information technology,” said Omkaram “Om” Nalamasu, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Combining the strengths of the Cleveland Clinic’s medical researchers with Rensselaer’s scientists and engineers, will foster new opportunities for discovery and innovation at the intersection of the life sciences and engineering to address critical health and medical challenges.”

The Learner Research Institute
The Lerner Research Institute is home to all laboratory-based research at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Its mission is to understand the causes of human diseases and to develop new treatments and cures. The Lerner Research Institute is ranked fifth in NIH funding among all U.S. research institutes in 2004. More than 1,100 people work in research programs focusing on cardiovascular, cancer, neurologic, musculoskeletal, allergic and immunologic, eye, metabolic, and infectious disease. The Institute also is an integral part of the new Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University – training the next generation of physician-scientists. 

Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Approximately 1,500 full-time salaried physicians at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2004, patients came for treatment from every state and 100 countries. The Cleveland Clinic website address is www.clevelandclinic.org.

Contact: Tiffany Lohwater
Phone: (518) 276-6542
E-mail: lohwat@rpi.edu