Governor Hochul Announces Historic Cancer Care Training Partnership Between New York and Puerto Rico Medical Institutions at SOMOS Conference 2026

Governor Hochul today announced the launch of a the Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Fellowship, a groundbreaking cancer care training partnership between Buffalo’s Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and San Juan City Hospital / University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, during the traditional Governor’s Reception at SOMOS conference in Puerto Rico. The new Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Fellowship will help drive clinical breakthroughs that benefit patients in Western New York, Puerto Rico and across the country, strengthen Puerto Rico’s capacity to deliver some of the most advanced cancer treatments available, and build a pipeline of highly specialized physicians equipped to bring cutting-edge therapies to patients on the island.

“Expanding access to advanced cancer treatments requires continued investment in research, innovation and the physicians who deliver that care,” Governor Hochul said. “By working with our partners in Puerto Rico, we can help strengthen their ability to provide cutting-edge cell and gene therapies while creating new opportunities for collaboration and discovery at Roswell Park. Bringing our medical institutions together will allow us to make important strides in the fight against cancer.”

This intensive, one-year clinical fellowship will select its inaugural fellow for specialized training at Roswell Park’s world-class facilities in Buffalo. The fellow will gain advanced clinical experience in cellular therapy while benefiting from Roswell Park’s internationally recognized expertise and state-of-the-art research and manufacturing capabilities.

Roswell Park faculty leader Brian Betts, MD, a leukemia specialist who serves as Vice Chair of Strategic Initiatives in Transplant & Cellular Therapy at the Buffalo cancer center, modeled the new program on guidelines established by the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and is in San Juan to meet with San Juan City Hospital officials and Governor Hochul.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center President and CEO Candace S. Johnson, PhD said, “Great healthcare begins with excellent education and access to high-quality care. We are honored to launch this unique fellowship program in partnership with Governor Hochul, New York State and our colleagues at San Juan City Hospital. By uniting our strengths, we are expanding educational opportunities, fostering tomorrow’s cancer specialists, and helping bring next-generation advances to more patients who can benefit from them.”

San Juan City Hospital Medical Director of Hematology-Medical Oncology Dr Alexis M. Cruz Chacon said, “This opportunity represents a significant milestone for our fellowship program, our institution, and Puerto Rico as a whole, and I am confident that we can capitalize on its tremendous potential. Furthermore, this collaboration opens the door to future partnerships with this prestigious cancer center, potentially expanding access for patients in Puerto Rico to cutting-edge cellular and gene therapies. Ultimately, our goal is not only to train the next generation of highly specialized physicians, but also to bring that expertise back to Puerto Rico, strengthen our healthcare system, and ensure that our patients have access to the most innovative treatments shaping the future of medicine.”

A key component of the training will be 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 facility provides the specialized environment and capabilities necessary to support the development and delivery of advanced cellular therapies.

The impact of this partnership will extend far beyond this initial training. By equipping Puerto Rican physicians with specialized expertise in advanced gene and cell therapies, New York is establishing a sustainable foundation for a new generation of oncologist scientists and will expand the island’s long-term capacity to deliver innovative cancer treatments.

The initiative is about more than advancing medical training. It is about expanding access to the next generation of cancer care, strengthening the partnership between New York and Puerto Rico and giving patients and their families greater opportunity to receive high-level treatment closer to home, surrounded by the support systems they need most.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, “This historic partnership between Buffalo’s Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and San Juan City Hospital / University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center represents what is possible when we bring together innovation, collaboration and a shared commitment to saving lives. By investing in the next generation of physicians and expanding expertise in advanced cell and gene therapies, we are helping ensure that patients in Puerto Rico have greater access to the most promising cancer treatments available.”

Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, "Expanding access to advanced cancer treatment is a lifesaving investment. As Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, I thank Governor Hochul for her leadership in strengthening the ties between New York and Puerto Rico to train the next generation of oncologists who will carry this work forward.”

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

From the world’s first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. The Roswell Park team of 4,000+ makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Rated “Exceptional” by the National Cancer Institute, Roswell Park, founded in 1898, was one of the first NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country and remains the only one in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email [email protected].

San Juan City Hospital

Is a tertiary-care general medical and surgical institution serving the Municipality of San Juan and communities throughout the island of Puerto Rico. As one of the island's major teaching hospitals, it plays an important role in medical education, clinical training, and healthcare research. The institution is also recognized for its specialized expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of complex medical conditions. Notably, San Juan City Hospital has received a High Performing rating in Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma.

Somos Puerto Rico

The Somos Inc Puerto Rico Conference is a major annual event aimed at uniting the Latino community and raising awareness about public policy issues affecting this demographic. The conference serves as a platform for legislators, scholars, business and labor leaders to address pressing concerns pertinent to the Latino community. The 2026 Somos Conference Theme is "Abriendo Caminos: 40 Years of Legacy, A Future of Possibility", as Somos is celebrating its 40 year anniversary and “Abriendo Caminos” translating to “blazing trails.”

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