MAC Members Grow Atlanta's Bioscience Reputation

ATLANTA, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Metro Atlanta is building its reputation as a bioscience center with the recent partnership announcement of Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, two Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) board members, opening a $90 million pediatric research facility.

"Atlanta has a thriving bioscience community, and this pediatric research facility will lead to continued medical advances that will benefit patients not just in Georgia, but throughout the world," said Sam A. Williams, president of MAC. "Metro Atlanta's strength in bioscience comes from a strong pool of talent to universities and clinical research to entrepreneurship, which forms an ideal environment for the growth of the bioscience industry."

In addition to a number of pediatric focus areas, the new 200,000-square-foot building on the Emory campus will include research in adult cancer, immunology and drug discovery.

Being centrally located in the heart of Georgia's Innovation Crescent will be a huge asset to the many companies who are working in this field of research.

The Innovation Crescent is both a geographic area and a coalition of more than a dozen counties and entities focused on life sciences and economic development in the state of Georgia.

"The longstanding partnership between Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta combines the considerable strengths of two top-tier Georgia institutions," says James Wagner, President of Emory University. "We expect our new Health Sciences Research Building, with its focus on pediatrics, will help boost Emory and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta into the leading ranks of pediatric research programs, all for the benefit of children's health in Georgia and throughout the world."

"We are excited for the chance to further develop a robust pediatric research program," said Donna Hyland, President and CEO, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.  "Atlanta is blessed with many fine institutions – like Emory – who believe in collaboration—and we will continue to grow because it's the collaboration among our clinical and academic professionals that will determine how much we are able to provide for Georgia's children now and in the future."

Atlanta is known for its universities and talent pool. Leading pediatric clinicians and researchers from across the country will be drawn to Atlanta by the strength of this collaborative pediatric research center, making the facility the destination of choice for cutting-edge and compassionate pediatric care.

"As development of the Emory-Children's Pediatric Research Center accelerates, we continue to recruit eminent new faculty and their research teams for 14 focus areas," said S. Wright Caughman, MD, Emory Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and CEO of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. "I am confident that our partnership will result in increased funding for pediatric research in Georgia and significant advances both near-term and far into the future."

MAC is focused on continuing to grow metro Atlanta's bioscience industry, particularly in the areas of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vaccine development, animal/plant biotech and health IT. In fact, Atlanta is often referred to as the nation's health IT capital, and is at the forefront of consumer digital health. There are currently more than 195 healthcare IT companies in metro Atlanta and that number continues to rapidly rise.

If your company is interested in locating or expanding operations of facilities in the metro Atlanta region, please contact David Hartnett at 404.586.8443 for assistance or contact MAC at booth #3125 during BIO 2011.  

Metro Atlanta Chamber--Everything we do at the Metro Atlanta Chamber - from recruiting businesses to Atlanta from all over the world, to tackling policy issues - is about creating jobs and prosperity to help Atlanta thrive. Our board is made up of Atlanta's top business leaders. Our professional staff serves 4,000 member companies that employ nearly 1 million workers. We focus on recruiting headquarters and global business -- and companies in the supply chain and advanced manufacturing, bioscience, technology and business services sectors. In public policy, we tackle critical issues such as transportation, water and education. For members, we offer 150+ events and activities each year. In sports, MAC's Atlanta Sports Council has helped drive almost $2 billion in economic impact through sporting events over the last 10 years.

SOURCE Metro Atlanta Chamber