The Center for Humanized SCID Mouse Models and Stem Cell Processing Laboratory is a unique entity, one of only a handful of its caliber in the nation, which supports the progression of research from the molecular and cellular level to the clinical level.

Our focus is on research using human xenograft models of human cancers and viral diseases in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).

The goal of the faculty in this highly specialized research unit is to better understand disease pathogenesis and to develop preclinical models to test novel anti-infectives, vaccines and chemotherapeutic drugs. Combined with state-of-the-art imaging facilities, we are able to visualize virus replication and cancer responses to chemotherapy in whole animals using the IVIS® technology.

State and federal agencies have recognized the importance of the relationship between basic and clinical research. The vision of our Center aligns with that of the current National Institutes of Health Roadmap, and our researchers have been funded through the NIH.

The State of New York Department of Health has also awarded competitive contracts for our Center, used to expand our facility and capabilities. With the addition of contract work from both academia and private companies, we have built partnerships with researchers across various fields.