The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, one of the world's foremost basic research institutions, recently received the largest single donation on record - a $42 million gift from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. This grant will help the Salk Institute establish a new research facility called the Helmsley Center for Genomic Medicine (HCGM).

In a simple definition, genomic medicine is a way to understand and develop new treatments for human diseases that are based off of genomes, which serve as maps of human DNA. Using advanced scientific methods, researchers at the facility hope to find critical information about how cellular pathways are connected to chronic diseases. Using those findings, they might then be able to generate better treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes.     

"Millions of people suffer from chronic illnesses, and these diseases are placing an unsustainable burden on our healthcare system, " said John Codey, a trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust. "The Helmsley Center for Genomic Medicine will help to address this by serving as an incubator for tomorrow's clinical treatments and cures."
   
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