Commission gives $100K to HudsonAlpha
Madison County Commission contributed $100,00 to HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Commission Chairman Dale Strong presented the funds. CONTRIBUTED
HUNTSVILLE – Madison County Commission has donated $100,000 to HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong presented the funds during a news conference on Dec. 9 at HudsonAlpha, 601 Genome Way in Huntsville. The money will support Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine and HudsonAlpha’s breast and ovarian cancer genetic risk program, “Information is Power.”
In addition to Strong, Dr. Richard M. Myers, HudsonAlpha President and Science Director, was a featured speaker.
“I am very proud to be associated with HudsonAlpha, because they touch so many lives, not just in Madison County but around the world,” Strong said. “Being able to assist with the important work to be done at this clinic is something that I am honored to be a small part of.”
Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine opened on Nov. 20, in collaboration with HudsonAlpha, Children’s of Alabama hospital in Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Medicine.
Medical director Dr. David Bick is coordinating the clinic work and is focused on utilizing the power of the genomic sequence to identify the causes of illness in children and adults with undiagnosed disease.
Madison County has given $70,000 to support the clinic mission and $30,000 for the “Information is Power” initiative. The funds originated in the chairman’s budget.
“Our goal is to bring genomics into the practice of medicine and opening this clinic has put us on the path,” Bick said. “Having support of Madison County brings us one step closer to achieving that goal.”
HudsonAlpha launched “Information Is Power” on Oct. 29 to offer free genetic risk screening for breast and ovarian cancer to 30-year-old women in the Huntsville/Madison County community for one year.
The groundbreaking initiative can provide access to life-saving information, Dr. Kimberly Strong said. Strong is HudsonAlpha faculty investigator and program director for ethics and genomics. “It would not be possible without support of the Madison County community and its leaders.”
For more information, visit support.hudsonalpha.org and support.hudsonalpha.org/informationispower.
