Center for Molecular Medicine ushers in new era of research for the University of Nevada School of Medicine
The Center for Molecular Medicine represents the first new medical research facility to be built at the School of Medicine in nearly 30 years.
Nestled between the current basic science research quadrangle and McCarran Boulevard, the Center for Molecular Medicine will house portions of the microbiology, pharmacology and physiology departments and serve as the headquarters for the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease.
At the heart of the Center for Molecular Medicine is the goal to improve the health outcomes of Nevadans through research and clinical care. Sharing the research facility with the Whittemore Peterson Institute will create a synergistic environment for scientists to work together to conduct cutting-edge research that leads to better treatments for patients.
Recognizing the need for improved health outcomes across the state, the University of Nevada School of Medicine and the Whittemore Peterson Institute joined forces to secure state funding for the Center for Molecular Medicine project during the 2005 legislative session. With the strong support of State Senator William Raggio (R-Washoe), Senate Bill 105 passed securing $10 million in support of the project’s public-private partnerships. Additional funding for the $78 million building stems from federal funds flowing from the research activities of all of the University’s research scientists.
Groundbreaking on the Center took place on March 5, 2007 while general contractor Clark & Sullivan began construction in early December 2008. When completed in the fall of 2010, the 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility will double the medical school’s research and laboratory space. The Center for Molecular Medicine is also expected to increase the research productivity and funding of the school’s basic scientists, increase its graduate student programs and attract biotech industries while expanding the state’s ability to pull in the private sector investment it needs.
The Center for Molecular Medicine, designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini Design, will create a dynamic research environment inside the facility and dramatically change the landscape of the medical school’s Reno campus. The west wing will house a state-of-the-art vivarium on the first floor with research laboratory and office space on the second and third floors. The east wing will provide space to the Whittemore Peterson Institute in addition to the 96-person capacity auditorium, two large meeting rooms and shared food service area.
The medical school’s basic science research team are not the only beneficiaries of the new facility. The Center for Molecular Medicine will contribute substantially to the local economy. The additional research space is anticipated to increase the School of Medicine’s federally funded research revenues that are returned to the local economy by salaries, supplies and support services needed to carry out research.
