New York and Puerto Rico join forces to expand access to cutting-edge cancer care

A new fellowship is putting cutting-edge cancer care within reach for Puerto Rico. Governor Hochul unveiled the Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Fellowship — a first-of-its-kind partnership between Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY, and San Juan City Hospital / University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center. Announced at the SOMOS conference in Puerto Rico, the program aims to train Puerto Rican physicians in some of the most advanced oncology treatments available today.

The intensive one-year fellowship will place its inaugural fellow at Roswell Park's world-class facilities, where they'll gain hands-on experience in cellular therapy. A standout feature: access to Roswell Park's Good Manufacturing Practice Engineering & Cell Manufacturing Facility — the largest academic clean-room facility of its kind in the world. The program was modeled on guidelines from the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

Quick Facts:

• The fellowship is a one-year, intensive clinical training program
• Roswell Park's clean-room facility is the largest academic cell manufacturing facility in the world
• The program is designed to build a sustainable pipeline of specialized oncologists in Puerto Rico

Why it matters: Puerto Rico has historically faced barriers to accessing the latest cancer treatments. By training local physicians in cell and gene therapies, this partnership creates a long-term foundation for delivering innovative care closer to home — reducing the burden on patients who would otherwise need to travel for treatment.