ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) – Cornell University is getting a big financial boost to support animal care.

Cornell’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) and the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory were presented with a $19.5 million funding award from the state on Monday. The capital investment will expand space and operations at the center, which conducts hundreds of thousands of tests annually and continues to grow.

Housed in Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, AHDC is one of the nation’s most comprehensive diagnostic labs, providing information about diseases, important research, and aiding law enforcement in crimes against animals. Recently, AHDC’s Virology Lab published a study that confirms that bird flu can be transmitted from mammal to mammal.

The ceremony was attended by Cornell leadership, Commissioner Richard Ball of New York State Agriculture and Markets, State Senator Lea Webb, and Assemblymembers Dr. Anna Kelles and Donna Lupardo.