Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Building

A Catalyst for Better Health Care and Economic Growth

ctsb 4The new 150,000 square foot University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Building (CTSB) will create an integrated home for clinical and translational science. The synergy created by scientists working in close proximity coupled with the support and resources provided by the new Institute will accelerate the process of harnessing scientific breakthroughs to improve health.

This project is the timely and logical expression of years of deliberate and focused effort during which time the building blocks for clinical and translational science have been assembled at the University. Like the new
biomedical researcctsb 5h facilities that have fostered growth in basic research in
recent years, the CTSB will enhance the application of biomedical discoveries to the prevention of illness, the development of new techniques for early diagnosis, the identification of risk factors for disease and its progression that can be used for early intervention, and the development of treatments that extend and improve the quality of life of our patients.

Coming Together

The building will bring together the four interlocking components necessary
for state-of-the-art clinical actsb 6nd translational science in an efficient and
self-nurturing environment:

The CTSB is also designed to serve the needs of the community. It will be the site of low-risk clinical studies, the Center for Community Health, and other outreach activities. The building will be a hub for the local community by providing policy-makers, advocates, and grassroots organizations ready access to public health professionals and research resources. The growth in clinical research spurred by these investments will also bring cutting-edge medical care to the community in the form of advanced clinical trials.

Promoting Growth

The new facility will enable the University to expand the number of clinical and ctsb 8
translational investigators through both recruitment of external candidates and
the promotion of individuals who will come through Rochester degree programs. Clinical and translational science is an area of potential major growth, both in terms of the future direction of federal and private funding and the University’s own strategic priorities. It is expected that approximately 30 to 50 new positions for clinical and translational researchers will be created at the University over the next several years, generating an additional $25 million in external research funding per year.

The CTSB will also serve as a catalyst for regional economic development by propelling substantial growth in employment and research at the University, creating collaborative regional research initiatives, and developing new
technologies with commercial potential. CGR estimates that the immediate
and catalytic impacts of the new Institute will total nearly $30 million annually
and will result in $43 million in labor income and the creation of approximately
600 new jobs. TheCTSB 9 CTSB and the other proposed improvements will generate
830 construction jobs.

Strengthening Research, Education, and Patient Care

The CTSB will also enable the University to convert the space vacated by programs in other areas of the Medical Center into new functions that will strengthen education, basic research, and patient care.

The Kornberg Medical Research Building and the adjoining MRBX were opened in 1999 and 2002, respectively, and were designed to house state-of-the-art biomedical research laboratories and faculty offices. While most floors of the two buildings are divided between offices and wet labs, the entire
ground floor of the MRBX is currently occupied by the Department of
Biostatistics and Computational Biology and clinical cardiovascular
research offices. These programs are slated to move into the new Clinical
and Translational Science Building. Thisctsb 18 floor will then be renovated for wet
bench research and result in 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art basic science laboratory space that will be able to accommodate 12 new principal investigators and their support staff, approximately 100 people in total. This new space alone will produce an estimated $6 million in additional external research funding annually and do so at a third of the cost of constructing a new basic research building.

Bringing Researchers Together

The MRBX labs plus research facilities under construction in the new James P. Wilmot Cancer Center will add 50,000 square feet in basic laboratory space to the Medical Center. These facilities will be a powerful asset in the University’s efforts to recruit new investigators and retain existing research faculty. This new capacity will be essential if the University is to maintain the levels of growth in research funding it has experienced in recent years, particularly in the current federal budget climate.

The new building will also house faculty and staff that are currently located in the School of Nursing/Helen Wood Hall. Relocation of these personnel will enable the School of Nursing to expand its research and education activities.

In a related project, the Clinical Research Center (CRC) has been relocated to a site closer to the new Clinical and Translational Science Building. The new location will enable the CRC increase its capacity by 23%, offer more services to researchers, and increase accessibility for study participants. Additionally, the space that is vacated by the CRC in Strong Memorial Hospital will be converted patient rooms. The hospital, which frequently runs at more than 100% of capacity, will benefit significantly from the expansion and this growth will help improve the quality of care and patient experience. The space will also give the hospital flexibility to make needed renovations.