This week Upstate Medical University hosted leaders from Binghamton University's Watson College of Engineering to begin mapping out scientific research collaborations.

Upstate Cord Blood Bank business manager Ann Marie Straight shows Watson College's department chair of Biomedical Engineering Kaiming Ye around the facilities.

Last month the two institutions signed an agreement to strengthen ties, allowing the institutions to jointly pursue sponsored funding opportunities and develop solutions to today’s pressing medical problems.

Upstate hosted department chair of Biomedical Engineering Kaiming Ye and associate dean of research for Watson College of Engineering Meera Sampath, meeting with Upstate leaders and touring the Upstate Cord Blood Bank among other facilities.

"It was a tremendous pleasure to host Dr. Ye, a world leader in regenerative medicine, to come speak with us about expanding Upstate’s footprint and collaborations with The Watson School of Engineering in the area of regenerative medicine, which holds so much promise for improving peoples lives," says Vice President for Research at Upstate Medical University Dave Amberg. "Dr. Ye has agreed to help us re-imagine our Cord Blood Center to have expanded capabilities and products for regenerative medicine and we explored several areas for collaboration in which our and Watson’s faculty have very complementary expertise.”

Upstate Cord Blood Bank Laboratory and Medical Director Matthew Elkins discussing facility operations with Watson College's Chair of Biomedical Engineering Kaiming Ye, Associate Dean of Research Meera Sampath, and Upstate's Vice President for Research Dave Amberg.

To read more about the collaboration between Upstate and Binghamton, click here.