[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 26, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF TGEN'S LAUNCH IN ARIZONA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 26, 2012

  Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues from 
Arizona to commend the Translational Genomics Research Institute 
(``TGen'') for a decade of biomedical research success.
  TGen was founded in Arizona in 2002 to leverage new scientific 
discoveries from the mapping of the human genome, and its establishment 
promptly accelerated the state into the era of genomics and 
personalized medicine.
  Significant to TGen's establishment was the confluence of support 
from all sectors of the state to attract this new institute to base its 
operations in Arizona as well as recruit the renowned geneticist Dr. 
Jeffrey Trent to lead it, and position the state as a worldwide leader 
in bioscience and medical discovery. Academic, business, philanthropic 
and government leaders all joined forces in a statewide campaign within 
a matter of months to strategically assemble the necessary support. The 
members of Arizona's congressional delegation also rallied behind this 
collective vision.
  What most excited Arizona leaders was the vision put forth by Dr. 
Trent, to accelerate and translate scientific discovery into more 
immediate and effective benefits for patients, all made possible with 
the new information from the human genome and rapidly developing 
technology.
  It was on this day ten years ago, June 26, 2002, with high 
expectations and hopes, that Governor Hull and state leaders announced 
the successful launch of TGen and the genomics era in Arizona. A decade 
of exciting growth and new research discoveries has since transpired, 
with TGen's rising tide lifting all boats.
  TGen has kept its promise to the State of Arizona to invigorate and 
diversify the economy. Beyond growth in TGen's operational impact, TGen 
has also been instrumental in the creation and expansion of commercial 
businesses. Investment into TGen and the biosciences has spurred 
economic growth across the state, including the establishment of such 
bio centers as the Critical Path Institute and Bio5 in southern 
Arizona, and ASU's Biodesign Institute. The bioindustry has flourished 
over the past ten years, even during economic downturns, becoming a 
significant high-performing sector of the Arizona economy.
  For patients, TGen is offering hope where there had been none with 
novel treatments offered only in Arizona. By partnering with clinical 
entities like the Mayo Clinic and Scottsdale Healthcare, TGen is 
focusing on utilizing genomic analyses to improve and customize patient 
treatments. Patients with pancreatic cancer and rare diseases like 
basil cell carcinoma are finding answers to their treatment struggles, 
and through its work, TGen is improving the quality of patient lives 
and allowing more years to spend with loved ones. Whether it's 
sequencing anthrax or the plague, investigating H1N1 or Valley Fever, 
finding new clues to triple-negative breast cancer or Alzheimer's 
disease, or leading new collaborative research partnerships addressing 
pediatric and canine cancers, TGen's research has made substantial 
inroads over the past ten years.
  More than a decade ago, the mapping of human genome represented a 
world challenge to make use of this new knowledge for the benefit of 
humankind. Arizona answered this challenge, and now TGen is leading the 
model to fuse modern medicine with the power of translational research 
to fuel the next wave of treatments for all manner of human diseases.
  As the tenth-year anniversary of TGen's launch is celebrated today, I 
applaud Dr. Trent and the scientists at TGen for their unwavering 
commitment to make a difference for patients and lead innovative 
research for Arizona into the next decade.

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