This institute will focus on educating and training URI’s nursing and pharmacy students, faculty and staff in immuno-oncology.
The State of Rhode Island and the University of Rhode Island (URI) launched several innovation campuses, including the Cell Therapy Training Institute. This institute will focus on educating and training URI’s nursing and pharmacy students, faculty and staff in immuno-oncology.
In addition to the Cell Therapy Training Institute, they are launching the 401 Tech Bridge, which will work on advanced materials and manufacturing within URI’s College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences and Polaris MEP. That will offer manufacturers, small businesses, R&D groups, trade organizations and state and defense agencies resources and education in materials and composites technology.
The projects were announced by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and URI President David Dooley. This is the second round of RI Innovation Campus projects.
“Innovation isn’t a relic of Rhode Island’s past, it is the key to our future,” said Governor Raimondo. “The projects we announced today as part of our second round of Innovation Campus funding will create jobs, foster creativity and development in key sectors, and stimulate our economy. Advanced materials manufacturing and gene therapy are industries of tomorrow, and I’m thrilled that we’re investing in their growth today.”
For the Cell Therapy Training Institute (RI-CTTI), URI will partner with Roger Williams Medical Center (RWMC). It will be within the Rhode Island CAR-T Design and Development Center. “The goal of the Center,” they state, “is to accelerate immuno-oncology innovation in the state and serve as a critical magnet to draw biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to Rhode Island.”
The state of Rhode Island is providing $1.4 million toward the CTTI, and RWMC and its corporate parent, CharterCARE Health Partners, is providing at least $7 million in matching contributions over the life of the project. An immunotherapy nursing program will also be founded within the URI College of Nursing in addition to a cell manufacturing technician training program.
The CTTI will employ 22 full-time staffers over the course of the project. Four more full-time equivalents for URI will be added during the project.
“CharterCARE Health Partners is pleased to offer its experience and leadership in cancer immunotherapy, in addition to a significant private capital commitment from Prospect Medical Holdings, to collaborate with URI in development of new cancer immunotherapy training programs and an exciting research collaboration that we hope will lead to the discovery of new treatments for patients in need,” said Jeffrey Liebman, chief executive officer of CharterCARE Health Partners.
The first round of innovation grants, which were funded by a $20-million bond in November 2016, was announced in 2018. The bond is for the development of hubs between academia and industry that turn academic research into commercial products, businesses and jobs. After this most recent announcement, $14.4 million of the $20-million bond have been allocated.
“We are thrilled to work with URI in establishing this new research program and immunotherapy nurse training program which will benefit cancer patients, the University, our hospital, and the State for many years to come,” said Steven Katz, associate professor of Surgery and director, Office of Therapeutic Development, Roger Williams Medical Center.
