Senate Resolution No. 5781

BY: Senator GRIFFO

COMMENDING the Masonic Medical Research Institute
upon the occasion of celebrating its 60th
Anniversary on June 21, 2018

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
commend and recognize those esteemed individuals and institutions within
the medical community for their extraordinary and sustained
contributions to the progress of medicine and the improvement of life;
and

WHEREAS, Medical research is vital to the current health care needs
of all citizens and contributes to the advancement of future medical
breakthroughs; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend the Masonic Medical Research Institute upon the occasion of its
60th Anniversary to be celebrated at an event on Thursday, June 21,
2018; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, the scientific breakthroughs at the
Masonic Medical Research Laboratory (MMRL), renamed the Masonic Medical
Research Institute in 2018, have helped generate new heart medications,
developed diagnostic procedures for the management of cardiac
arrhythmias and advanced lifesaving technologies; these monumental
achievements have contributed immeasurably to a reduction in mortality
from heart disease; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1940s medical experts recognized that rheumatic
diseases were highly prevalent in the United States, followed by
cardiovascular disease and kidney disease; subsequently, it was
determined that a large percentage of heart disease cases originated
from recurring attacks of rheumatic fever in childhood; and

WHEREAS, Due to the need to establish a long-range program of basic
medical research, Grand Masters Gay H. Brown and Raymond C. Ellis led
the effort to establish the Masonic Foundation for Medical Research and
Human Welfare, which was incorporated on October 23, 1947, for the
purposes of studying this correlation; and

WHEREAS, In 1955, Foundation members coordinated with the Directors
of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund to secure land for the construction
of a new laboratory; they found a two acre parcel on the grounds of the
Masonic Care Community in Utica, New York, just 500 yards west of the
Tompkins Memorial Chapel; the building was completed in June of 1958,
and the facility was turned over to the Foundation at a ceremony on June
21, 1958, attended by, among others, Grand Master Lloyd Jones and
Governor Averell Harriman; and

WHEREAS, John Murray Steele, M.D., Professor of Medicine at New York
University College of Medicine and Director of New York University
Research Service at Goldwater Memorial Hospital was chosen as the
laboratory's first Director of Research; and


WHEREAS, In 1960, Gordon K. Moe, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of Physiology
at Upstate Medical Center of the State University of New York at
Syracuse, succeeded Dr. Steele as Director of Research; throughout his
long and illustrious tenure, Dr. Moe helped the laboratory establish a
prestigious reputation worldwide; through his research, the diagnosis
and treatment of cardiac disease had advanced significantly and cardiac
electrophysiology research was born at the laboratory; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the 1960s and thereafter, the MMRI became a
well-established world-famous premier research institution, with
training of several Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows; on January 16,
1976, the name of the Laboratory was changed from the Masonic Foundation
for Medical Research and Human Welfare to the Masonic Medical Research
Laboratory; and

WHEREAS, During the 1970s and early 1980s, in addition to cardiac
electrophysiology, cancer and muscular dystrophy programs were
established; the experimental cardiology group began making significant
discoveries, making it an attractive destination for young scientists
seeking cardiac electrophysiology training, as well as those interested
in research; Dr. Moe worked with notable researchers, such as Norman
Olsen, Ph.D., Verner J. Wulff, Ph.D., Jaok Han, M.D., Ph.D., Carlos
Mendez, M.D., Greg Ferrier, Ph.D., and many others, all of whom helped
establish a prestigious reputation for the laboratory worldwide, in the
diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases; Dr. Moe retired in 1984;
and

WHEREAS, Many additions were made to the facility in the mid to
late-1980s including the Max L. Kamiel Library, the Guy R. Vandermosten
Computer Facility, and the Raymond C. Ellis Tree of Humanity, which is
located in the front lobby; in 1988, the second story addition of the
Royal Arch Masons Wing was completed; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s, the first gene responsible for sudden cardiac
death was discovered; the Laboratory made additional advancements in
treatments for cardiac diseases such as abnormal heart rhythms, QT
syndrome, and Brugada syndrome; the laboratory also expanded outside of
cardiology research, creating new programs such as the immunology
program and the molecular biology program; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, the MMRI announced the establishment of the
Molecular Genetics program, and assembled a team of top researchers to
investigate the cause of sudden death caused by abnormal heart rhythm;
MMRI's storied history of research contributed to the development of the
pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), automatic
external defibrillator (AED), catheter ablation therapy and a wide
variety of drugs used to treat heart disease; and

WHEREAS, From 1998-2008, death from heart disease decreased by 25%
in the United States, largely due to MMRI's significant research impact;
during this period the laboratory began research on human heart tissue
in collaboration with the Mohawk Valley Heart Institute; and the
laboratory discovered direct evidence linking sudden infant death
syndrome to an abnormal heart rhythm; and

WHEREAS, In June of 2017, the Laboratory announced a multi-million
dollar renovation of its second and third floors, resulting in the

modernization of 6,800 square feet of new laboratory space that will
offer over 40 new research jobs; in light of the significant
modernization and expansion for the facility, the Board of Directors
renamed the laboratory the Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI), to
encompass the expanding program and vision for the future of the
research there; and

WHEREAS, The Board of Directors proudly announced the appointment of
the first woman in the laboratory's history as Director of Research, Dr.
Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D., who came from Harvard Medical School and Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston where she also served as
Director of the Basic Cardiovascular Research Program; and

WHEREAS, For its tremendous impact on the community, the Utica
Chamber of Commerce again named the MMRI as the 2017 Business of the
Year in the Not-for-Profit with under 50 Employees Category; the
laboratory was previously honored with this distinction in 2007; and

WHEREAS, After 60 years, the MMRI continues to serve as a
frontrunner in cutting edge basic and translational research; its
scientific discoveries continue to inspire hundreds of talented students
to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics by
hosting the annual "Summer Fellowship Program" in which the next
generation of scientists is offered the opportunity to work side-by-side
with highly accomplished research staff; and

WHEREAS, The State of New York has long been a leader in medical
research and treatment, and numerous individuals and institutions in New
York State have assumed worldwide leadership roles in both research and
treatment of life-threatening illnesses; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body paused in its deliberations to
commend the Masonic Medical Research Institute upon the occasion of
celebrating its 60th Anniversary on June 21, 2018; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Dr. Maria Kontaridis, Director of Research; David F.
Schneeweiss, Chairman of the MMRI Board of Directors; Alvaro F. Quiroga
- Sanchez, President of the MMRI Board of Directors; and to each member
of the Masonic Medical Research Institute Board of Directors.