Emerging Biotechnology Advisory Board

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new members of the Emerging Technology Advisory Board focused on biotechnology, an independent group of industry leaders tasked with helping chart the course to further expand a thriving biotech ecosystem in New York State. The advisory board, co-chaired by Pfizer Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Andrew Baum and The Michael J. Fox Foundation CEO and Co-Founder Debi Brooks, will help further the Governor’s commitment to making New York a national leader in life sciences, innovation and advanced manufacturing. The Board reflects New York’s vast leadership and experience, including established company leaders, research pioneers, non-profit leaders and industry practitioners who are actively shaping the future of biotech and the commercial life sciences in the state.

“New York State is a national leader in biotechnology with innovative research being conducted from Long Island to Buffalo,” Governor Hochul said. “Bringing together these industry leaders from all corners of the state will help expand our biotechnology ecosystem, ensuring New York is at the forefront of life sciences and medical innovation.”

Pfizer Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Andrew Baum said, “New York is uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of biotech innovation. With world-class institutions, entrepreneurial energy, and a commitment to catalytic investment, we’re building a world-class ecosystem where breakthrough therapies are developed right here in the Empire State. Through strategic partnerships, we are confident New York can thrive and expand upon the strong foundation that exists today as the nation’s emerging global leader in life sciences innovation.”

The Michael J. Fox Foundation Co-Founder and CEO Debi Brooks said, “I’m honored to be appointed to co-chair New York’s Emerging Technology Advisory Board. Together, this Board has the chance to advance public–private partnerships across New York’s biotech sector and deliver breakthroughs that patients and families urgently deserve. At The Michael J. Fox Foundation, we’ve witnessed how strategic collaboration, emerging science and cutting-edge tools can help speed progress. I thank Governor Hochul for convening this group and prioritizing investment in life sciences. I look forward to joining my fellow members of the Board in shaping the future of biotechnology in New York State.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “New York State has become a powerhouse for innovation by bringing together world-class researchers, industry leaders, and forward-looking institutions. The creation of this Emerging Technology Advisory Board will further strengthen our life sciences ecosystem by ensuring that breakthrough ideas in biotechnology can be nurtured, commercialized, and scaled right here in New York. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are not only accelerating scientific discovery but also creating the jobs and opportunities that will define the future of our economy.”

The Emerging Technology Advisory Board on Biotechnology includes the following members:

• Andrew Baum, Pfizer
• Debi Brooks, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
• Jennifer Hawks Bland, NewYorkBIO
• Renier Brentjens, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
• John Connolly, PhD, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
• Mike Foley, PhD, Excelsior Sciences
• Joseph LaRosa, Regeneron
• Sean O’Sullivan, SOSV
• William Slattery, Deerfield Management
• Bruce Stillman, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Kevin Tracey, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
• Win Thurlow, LifeSciencesNY
• Stacie Grossman Bloom, New York University
• Ronald Crystal, Weill Cornell Medicine
• Sam Sia, PhD, Harlem Biospace
• Geoffrey Smith, Digitalis Ventures
• Shadi Shahedipour-Sandvik, State University of New York

The Governor’s Emerging Technology Advisory Board (ETAB) is an independent group of leaders tasked with helping grow New York’s innovation economy, which evolves to focus on different topics. This is the second phase of the ETAB, which will develop recommendations that support New York State’s strategy in the emerging biotechnology landscape, including accelerating commercialization of advanced technologies and new therapeutics, unlocking private capital through public-private partnerships, supporting the development of AI in this sector, and strengthening workforce development. Last year’s inaugural group focused on Artificial Intelligence, and released their report and recommendations in December 2024. Those recommendations helped inform the Governor's since-announced programs to fund New York AI startups, train and place underrepresented students into AI jobs, upskill the State workforce, help small businesses adopt AI, and track potential AI displacement.

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “New York has the talent, infrastructure, and public mission to lead in the development of breakthrough biotechnologies, and I thank the Governor for her leadership and focus on growing this sector. As we expand innovation in biotech and AI, it’s critical we center equity, transparency, and the public good. I look forward to working with this advisory board to ensure these breakthroughs serve all New Yorkers.”

Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “At a pivotal time when science, public health, and technical research dollars are being cut at the federal level, New York State is focused on enhancing collaboration and synergy in the biotech industry. New discoveries will save lives and enhance public health, but they will not occur automatically. The new Emerging Technology Advisory Board for Biotechnology will keep New York in the forefront of this work. Our corporations, research institutions, and universities provide the economic momentum for New York’s leadership on biotech research. This announcement is another example of Governor Hochul’s commitment to the next generation of scientific discovery.”

Making New York a Biotech and Life Sciences Hub

Governor Hochul is ensuring the next medical breakthroughs happen in New York State. With her investments, the Governor is not only supporting the advancement of medical science; she is also creating a powerhouse that will drive our economy, generate thousands of high-skilled jobs, and bring hope to millions facing life-threatening diseases. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the State has invested more than $354 million in New York’s life sciences ecosystem.

In 2024, Governor Hochul announced the opening of the Roswell Park GMP Engineering and Cell Manufacturing Facility, New York's first cell and gene therapy hub, located at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. The $98 million facility will create new jobs, help to support the research and development of life-saving cell and gene therapies at Roswell, significantly grow its well-established research capabilities, and establish Roswell as one of the premier cell therapy discovery and development institutions in the nation. Additionally, the Governor announced New York Biogenesis Park, a $430 million Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub in Nassau County, Long Island. With a historic $150 million state investment — the largest nationwide for a cell and gene therapy hub — New York Biogenesis Park will accelerate the delivery of new therapies from lab to patient in New York’s diverse communities.

Governor Hochul’s commitment to advancing New York’s leadership in emerging technology builds on her broader agenda to expand cutting-edge technology development in the Empire State.

The Governor’s innovation agenda has catalyzed major public and private investments, transforming New York’s economy and creating good-paying jobs of the future. GlobalFoundries recently announced an $11.6 billion investment to expand its chip manufacturing campus in New York’s Capital Region, creating 1,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. In 2022, Micron announced a 20-year, $100 billion investment to create a megafab campus in Central New York, creating 50,000 new direct and indirect jobs and unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in community benefits.