NIH Grant Establishes New Flu/Bird Flu Center of Excellence

President Joel Seligman and Medical Center CEO Bradford C. Berk (second and third from left) celebrate the new Influenza Center of Excellence with John Treanor, School of Medicine and Dentistry Dean David Guzick, and David Topham.

A seven-year, $26 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will support establishment of the New York Influenza Center of Excellence (NYICE) at the University. The center aims to make future influenza pandemics less deadly.

Despite new vaccine technologies, flu remains the most common cause of vaccine-preventable death in the United States, causing 40,000 deaths annually and 150,000 hospital stays. In addition, avian flu viruses ("bird flu") continue to spread, increasing the risk of bird-to-human infection. The new center will seek to break down the molecular and environmental factors that influence flu transmission, work to create new vaccines, and bolster pandemic preparedness.