CSHL Association Director Peter J. Klein is President of the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation which donated $200,000 for a new Illumina NextSeq 500 for CSHL鈥檚 Woodbury Genome Center.聽 Mr. Klein鈥檚 avid interest in research, technology and science education may largely be credited to his formative years as a student at Bronx High School of Science.聽 鈥淢y years at Bronx Science taught me to work in a team as well as how to manage time, which I had very little of, and sparked my intellectual curiosity which today continues with my amazement by scientific advances.鈥�
Mr. Klein joined the Laboratory鈥檚 President鈥檚 Council in 2013 and was struck by lectures on genomics technology advancements behind the promise of personalized medicine.聽 These advances now influence his philanthropy as well as his work as a wealth manager.聽聽 The Foundation鈥檚 mission is somewhat broad but always focused on making a difference.聽 It aims not only to provide financial support, but to invest in its grantees by encouraging collaborations, growing new relationships and bringing new resources to the table.聽 Mr. Klein also provides his business acumen to assist in further development where needed.
CSHL stands out among the many excellent causes supported by the Foundation because as Mr. Klein noted, 鈥淎s the old saying goes, the Lab had us at 鈥榟ello鈥�.鈥澛� When he and his wife Irene, Vice-President of the Foundation, first attended an event at the Lab, they knew 鈥渋t was a special place with highly engaged, brilliant folks doing impassioned work,鈥� and they wanted to help.聽 What impresses each of them most of all are the people.聽 鈥淭he people are the most important assets of any knowledge-based enterprise, which is very much the case at Cold Spring Harbor Lab.鈥�