Northwell Health is expanding its medical research within The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research with the establishment of The Institute of Translational Research, the sixth institute of the health care system that will form connections between chronic illnesses and innovative clinical treatments and therapies.
“Our institute’s mission is to be a world-class hub for translational research, bridging bench-to-bedside approaches to find solutions to chronic diseases,” the institute’s leader, Dr. Douglas F. Nixon, said. “Through this endowment and overall support, we are eager to roll up our sleeves and get to work. I am confident the collaborative efforts of our scientists and clinicians will have positive impacts on science and medicine.”
Nixon is a leader in research on human endogenous retroviruses, which Northwell Health described as “part of our ‘junk DNA’ or ‘dark genome,’ which have an impact on neuroimmunological, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions and aging.”
He is a National Institutes of Health Merit awardee, a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and an elected fellow of the American Society of Microbiology and the National Academy of Inventors.
“My colleagues and I welcome Prof. Nixon to the Feinstein Institutes. His leadership and pioneering translational research strengthens our mission of ‘producing knowledge to cure disease,’” said Kevin J. Tracey, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “His arrival promises an acceleration of work linking the patients in need to the newest discoveries in the lab.”
Working alongside Nixon will be nine other lab members.
The Institute of Translational Research will collaborate with Northwell’s other five institutes of Behavioral Science, Bioelectronic Medicine, Cancer Research, Health System Science, and Molecular Medicine.
It will work towards researching and establishing treatments for diseases and medical conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS and other viral infections and mental health disorders.
In their research pursuits, the institute will also work with industries, governments and the community throughout its research, as well as with scientists, clinicians and trainees to bolster education and training.
The institute also plans to conduct clinical trials involving Northwell Health patients who volunteer.
Northwell Health is a Manhasset-based healthcare provider and the largest one in the state, with locations throughout Long Island, New York City and Westchester.
The Institute of Translational Research was gifted $5 million from the Karches family, who has philanthropically partnered with the institute for over two decades. It will establish the Karches Family Laboratory and name Nixon the Karches Family Professor in Translational Research.
Susan Karches has served as a member of the Feinstein Institutes’ Board of Directors since 2007.
“Philanthropy strengthens the Feinstein Institutes’ ability to recruit the best and brightest leaders in their fields,” Karches said. “My family is proud to support this gift, which we hope empowers Dr. Nixon and his team to pioneer innovative solutions for chronic illness and disease, ultimately improving health outcomes for patients worldwide.”
The institute will be housed in the newly renovated $35 million, 20,000-square-foot facility at the Feinstein Institutes, which was completed in 2022. It was funded through philanthropy and New York’s Empire State Development. Another $10 million grant from the Empire State development will fund the laboratory’s second phase of upgrades.
