LOCALadk Magazine

60 Fall 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk past two years, two have been hired. Dr. Atsuo Kuki, now in his fourth year as president and di- rector, has steered Trudeau Institute into economically sta- ble waters with creative programing and an optimistic and for ward-thinking agenda. Trudeau 3.0 is defined by collab- orations that have necessitated new hires and expansion of the Institute's research capabilities. Funding has traditional- ly been received from federal and state agencies and private foundations, but there has also been a significant increase in contract revenue fueling Trudeau's research and develop- ment capabilities as an independent entity. While tubercu- losis R&D remains the centerpiece of the Institute's work, there are exciting new initiatives involving Zika and tick- borne diseases. Dr. Kuki's statement on leading the Transformation to Trudeau 3.0: " We have designed and built our Trudeau Research Net- work to launch Trudeau 3.0 as hub of a strategic partner- ship network to defend against infectious diseases, in par- ticular those that attack through the most common routes of infection (insect-borne and respirator y) and evade our immune defenses." Dr. Marcia Blackman, Trudeau Institute Senior Principal Investigator, and her team from the Trudeau Research Net- work have secured $1,200,000.00 in federal funding from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program in Washington, D.C ., to develop appropriate models to test vac- cines and therapeutics that will be effective in preventing or treating Zika infection and the resulting congenital disease. Trudeau seeks to mitigate illness from spreading infec- tious diseases driven by climate change. The front line of dis- ease-carr ying ticks is moving north, and the season is getting longer. Trudeau Institute was awarded $1.2M grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for Zika research (Trudeau Institute press release, June 7, 2019). New York State is among the 14 states that make up 95% of all confirmed U.S. Lyme disease cases. Trudeau immunol- ogists work with biomedical researchers in New York State, the nation, and world to fight drug-resistant infections and find solutions for pathogens for which no therapies exist at all. This makes the facility, and its location in upstate New York, the ideal place to accomplish this vital mission. As the Institute continues to expand its reach and adds more partners to the Trudeau Research Network, there is a strong probability of discover y that may lead to new and exciting therapeutic protocols, the next viable vaccine, or even a cure. It is these possibilities that drive the team of researchers at Trudeau Institute and attract support from public and private sources. The future looks ver y bright for Trudeau Institute and its place as a good neighbor in the community of Saranac Lake and the Adirondacks. Chenelle Palyswiat from Cloudsplitter Foundation presenting grant to Dr. Atsuo Kuki

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