May 1, 2017

Yaccarino Tours Yale Center for Genome Analysis

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NORTH HAVEN – State Rep. Dave Yaccarino joined Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Commissioner Smith, State Senator Len Fasano and other legislative leaders on Monday morning, May 1, for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of the expanded capacity of the Yale Center for Genome Analysis.

“The industry-leading imprint that Yale has made on the biotech sector, and our regional economy, is remarkable,” said Yaccarino, who serves the 87th General Assembly District that covers North Haven. “Connecticut has the ability to become a real leader, the work that Yale is doing is impressive and I am hopeful that we will continue to excel.”

Yale is an established leader in the development of genome sequencing and its clinical applications in precision medicine, including newborn diseases, prenatal diagnosis and personalized treatments in Smilow Cancer Center. The University has launched, in collaboration with the Yale New Haven Health System, an initiative to study the genomic makeup of a large cohort of patients and to track their health outcomes over time, correlating these with environmental exposures. This effort, which follows the lead of the National Institutes of Health’s Precision Medicine Initiative, promises to be a major step forward in realizing the clinical and economic potential of personalized medicine.

State Rep. Dave Yaccarino (center, back row) attended a ribbon cutting at the Yale Center for Genome Analysis on Monday morning, May 1.

(l to r): Dr. Murat Gunel, Chairman and Chief of the Yale Department of Neurosurgery and State Representative Dave Yaccarino, State Representative Pam Staneski and Dr. Kaya Bilguvar, Director of the Yale Center for Genome Analysis.

To further boost the bioscience and biotechnology industry, Rep. Yaccarino introduced HB 6746, An Act Concerning A Biotechnology And Bioscience Investment Tax Credit, would help grow the bioscience and biotechnology industry and academic research communities by providing individual investors, corporations, and venture capital firms with tax credits for investments made to qualified biotechnology and bioscience companies within Connecticut.

The bill has been sent to the Legislative Commissioners’ Office and now awaits a vote on the House Floor.