PRESS CONFERENCE
Announcing the Seckin Endometriosis Research Center for
Women’s Health at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL)
Thursday, May 1, 2025 10:00am
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Tamer Seckin, MD
I am never loyal to script, but today I will try not to get out of script so much. Thank you very much, Dr. Beas, for your kind generous word. More importantly for your pioneering work. I'm deeply, deeply grateful to Cold Springs Harbor Labs, especially Dr. Bruce Stillman and Marilyn Simons, whose unwavering commitment helped this bringing this initiative to life. Certainly special thanks to Alexis and Billy Joel who did not hesitate to support this effort and who generously gave their time being here. I appreciate it. Standing here today is profoundly meaningful in my professional life. To be at one of the world's most respected scientific institution, Holmes to Watson and Crick, and so many Nobel Prize lottery rates. Opening a center that bears my name and is devoted to the disease I spend my life trying to understand is truly humbling beyond words. This is a moment I never imagined, certainly never dreamt.
When I began caring for women whose symptoms were routinely dismissed in my training, we did look at these women as they have pelvic inflammatory disease and they were demeaned as they were for centuries. That was 35 years ago. Endo is not rare. It's not vague, it's not imaginary. It's a systemic disease, inflammatory disease that affects at least 200 million women around the world is driven by complex biological mechanism, mainly inflammation, neuro angiogenesis, fibrosis, immune dysregulation, and hormonal signal distribution disruption. Yeah, so we are here to change our work. Started with the foundation, 2006 Originally then Padma LaMi joined me. We formed the Endometriosis Foundation of America to confront this neglect, to raise awareness and advocate for earlier diagnosis and better care. Over 16 years, we have changed the narrative, not in this country, but around the world, about endometriosis. We launched educational programs that have reached nearly 50,000 high school students, teaching girls and boys about menstrual health, what's normal and what's not.
We created medical conferences to elevate the science and surgery of endometriosis to train doctors. We organized annual patient days to bring patients and doctors together in ways never done before. Many treatment centers have since emerged. Many now claim expertise, but still no true resource center dedicated exclusively to endometriosis. And ladies and gentlemen, this is happening here today. Thank you for coming here. I think this is history in the making. We have strategic data-driven efforts to deliver the real science. The reason is we have over 30,000 specimens no one can ever match. We are in a stronger position than any endometriosis program in the world. With endo funds, $10 million commitment matched by exact amount, by cold springs. We are proud to launch this center today.
This center will study genetic and environmental factors that increase the risk for endometriosis, analyze, have inflammation and fibroids, drive pain and disease progressing. More importantly, we will know how to stop the disease and find the right treatment in the timely manner before the disease. Destructs the life of young girls and so many women. We will train the next generation of scientists and physicians. I will conclude thanking to my wife El, and to my children, my extended family, and my sisters who traveled from overseas for this occasion. Your support carried me through decades of long nights and difficult decisions. I do appreciate Madeline Rudin, Dr. Harridge, Dr. Martin, and all our team at Endon. Sarpa, Jean Andrew, Diane, Claire. Thanks to Charlie and iGen, thank you for what you've done to help this initiative to life and to our board, especially Pariah Bam, whose scientific vision continues to elevate everything we do. Thank you, pariah. And finally, to the woman who taught me everything, who trusted me to operate, who educated me through their suffering, it is their center, not mine. Thank you. I'd like to introduce Dr. Baam, who has been so supportive of this initiative. Pria.
