May 12, 2005

Buffalo, NY, May 12, 2005 - - - - - The Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI) celebrates the opening of their new Structural Biology Research Center at 700 Ellicott Street in the heart of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). This new 73,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is a three-story, environmentally sensitive structure designed by Cannon Design's Los Angeles based architect Mehrdad Yazdani. This $24 million facility centers on the principle of scientific collaboration providing an open, functional, and visible working environment. Our new building serves as the gateway to the BNMC and is the first of three new research facilities being built that will comprise the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex. Our research partners, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University at Buffalo expect to open their new facilities in the first quarter of 2006.

The HWI Structural Biology Research Center is divided into three distinct parts; laboratories, office and support spaces, and a three-story atrium that unites the two. The laboratories are housed in the square shaped section of the building with U-shaped laboratory modules surrounding shared core facilities. The exterior covering of the laboratory is a channel glass called Profilit™, which is translucent allowing privacy for researchers while at the same time allowing maximum natural light into the building. The administrative, science, and support offices are housed in the circular section of the building along with conference rooms, work rooms, and our boardroom. The exterior of the office complex is covered in metallic aluminum panels with staggered window openings creating diverse office spaces. The three-story atrium joins the research and office complex together creating informal meeting spaces where people can congregate and engage in discussions. The first floor atrium is open space that will be utilized for events and scientific symposiums. The second floor atrium contains the staff lunchroom and science commons area. The third floor atrium contains our science library. The atrium is also home to a grand staircase that is prominently featured as you enter the building.

Mehrdad Yazdani, Cannon Design Architect stated, "The new building is a state-of-the-art facility that not only will enhance and innovate the research experience, but will also allow Hauptman-Woodward to recruit the next generation of groundbreaking scientists. It was designed to connect scientist with scientist and scientific research with the community, ultimately the new facility will serve to connect the city’s rich architectural heritage with its promising future."

Christopher T. Greene, HWI Board Chairman stated, "Today, we celebrate our commitment to the region with the opening of our new headquarters located at 700 Ellicott Street. This journey has been an exciting one; in two years Hauptman-Woodward has gone from being a hidden treasure on High Street to occupying a signature building that serves as a southern gateway to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Our journey however has just begun. Our goal now is to ensure that this vital science will continue for many years to come. In order to do this we must continue to raise funds to recruit new scientific talent, initiate new research projects, continue ongoing research initiatives, and build our endowment."

George T. DeTitta, Ph.D., HWI Executive Director & CEO, echoed Mr. Greene's statement by saying, "It is always refreshing to see new buildings being constructed in Buffalo, but we should never forget about the things that happen within those buildings, and the people that make it happen. Buildings don’t do science; people do science. With state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in place to perform our research, our focus now turns to people. We have to fill our new facility with individuals dedicated to basic scientific research."

HWI plans to almost double in size in the next seven to ten years, including the recruitment of 14 scientists, 20 technical staff members, and 20 graduate students. One new scientist, Dr. Edward Snell joined the staff in April 2005 from NASA and another new scientist from Duke University will come to work and live in Buffalo by the summer's end.

Construction of this new facility began in November of 2003 when the concrete foundations were poured. On January 7, 2004, the first piece of steel was erected followed by the topping-off ceremony on March 10th, when our final piece of structural steel was put in place. Since March of 2004, Western New York has watched the skeletal structure of the new HWI building emerge as an architectural treasure. All major construction contracts for this building project were held by companies in Central and Western New York.

This wonderful new building and the recruitment of our new scientific staff would not have been possible without the dedication and support of federal, state, and local government as well as local foundations, corporations, and individuals. Funding for this project and the continued advancement of HWI’s science and recruitment efforts came from New York State including Governor George Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and the Western New York Delegation, Federal appropriations through US Senator Charles Schumer, US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, the John R. Oishei Foundation, the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the James H. Cummings Foundation, the Constantine/Stafford family gift, financing through KeyBank, and many other generous gifts from local foundations, corporations, and individuals.

Founded in 1956, HWI is an independent, non-profit facility specializing in the area of basic research known as structural biology. Our mission is two-fold; committing ourselves to improving human health by studying the causes of diseases at their basic molecular level and working to educate the scientists of tomorrow. Our president and namesake, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1985 for his development of the formula known as “direct methods”, where his application of classical mathematics finally resolved an issue that had defeated generations of chemists. For more information visit HWI's web site at www.hwi.buffalo.edu