The first START site in New York launches new strategic partnership to provide cutting-edge cancer research
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Dec. 17, 2025– Northwell Health and The START Center for Cancer Research held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to unveil Northwell-START New York-Long Island, which reflects a $5.7 million investment for a 10,000-square foot, state-of-the-art early-phase cancer clinical trial center. Located at Northwell’s outpatient R. J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center, the facility represents the first START site in New York State, which is part of the world’s largest network of community-based, early-phase oncology clinical trial sites.
Building on the partnership established in 2024 between Northwell Health and The START Center for Cancer Research (START), the new center marks a transformative moment in cancer care delivery in New York by bringing cutting-edge, early-phase clinical trials in a specially designed facility to offer clinical trials directly to patients where they live and receive cancer treatment.
The Northwell-START New York-Long Island center features a fully dedicated research team, 14 infusion bays, six private exam rooms, a dedicated pharmacokinetic laboratory and a dedicated pharmacy with hazardous and non-hazardous compounding capabilities. The new unit is conveniently located in the same building as a diagnostic imaging center, a diagnostic and molecular testing laboratory and procedural suites for biopsy, as well as seamless access to numerous medical specialties and support services.
“This partnership signals a fundamental shift in how we deliver cancer care and access to novel therapies,” said Richard Barakat, MD, physician-in-chief and executive director of the Northwell Cancer Institute. “As a health system treating more New Yorkers with cancer than anyone else, we have both the responsibility and the opportunity to give our patients access to cutting-edge treatments without requiring them to travel far from home. Expanding our strong early-phase research program is critical to our mission.”
Northwell selected START as a partner to leverage complementary strengths, said Dr. Barakat. “Together, we can execute trials with greater speed, size and scale. The potential for innovation—in cellular therapies, precision medicine and new modalities is truly exceptional.”
“For too long, early-phase cancer research has been concentrated within select cancer centers, even as the majority of patients receive their care in community settings. Expanding access to early-phase trials in more places, especially within leading, integrated systems like Northwell, creates a powerful opportunity to reach patients sooner with promising new therapies,” said Nick Slack, CEO of The START Center for Cancer Research. “With the official opening of our START site with Northwell Health, we’re helping make that possibility a reality. We’re bringing sophisticated early-phase trial capabilities directly into one of the nation’s leading community-anchored health systems — expanding access, strengthening local oncology care, and accelerating the pace of innovation. This is START’s mission in action: to provide ‘Hope through Access’.”
The Northwell-START New York-Long Island center will be led by Geraldine O’Sullivan Coyne, MD, PhD, system head of Northwell START New York-Long Island and principal investigator for The START Center for Cancer Research. She is an internationally recognized oncology researcher and physician leader with more than 15 years of experience in global research, medicine and oncology gained in roles at national and international organizations. Dr. O’Sullivan Coyne recently helped launch START Dublin after seven years at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD.
The START Center for Cancer Research represents the industry’s largest global network of early phase clinical trial sites led by a team of 40 industry-leading principal investigators. With over 800 currently active studies, the START network supports the largest portfolio of industry sponsored early-phase cancer trials globally. The Northwell site will be fully integrated into the START network.The facility is conveniently located at 450 Lakeville Road in Lake Success near the Long Island-Queens border, and sits within R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center, home to hundreds of Northwell cancer specialists, as well as cancer infusion therapy, radiation therapy and imaging services. It is directly across the street from R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. A second Northwell-START Center is slated to open in Manhattan in 2027.