Fact Sheet: Jules and Gwen Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery
Opening in 2008, the Jules and Gwen Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery will provide 330,760 square feet of new research space for groundbreaking initiatives at the University of Chicago Division of Biological Sciences. This facility will house laboratories and office space for principal investigators, postdoctoral students and graduate students in the departments of pediatrics and medicine, as well as the Cancer Research Center.
Institute for Molecular Pediatric Sciences: The First of Its Kind
About half of the space in the Center for Biomedical Discovery will become home to the Institute for Molecular Pediatric Sciences. The University of Chicago is the first medical center in the country to build a molecular institute devoted exclusively to improving children's health. The institute's integrated, cross-departmental research teams are comprised of basic scientists, physician-scientists and clinical researchers. These teams offer combined expertise in genetics, biophysics, biochemistry, complex model systems, cellular physiology, translational studies and clinical studies.
The institute will introduce an entirely new model of research that harnesses genomics, biophysics, physiology and clinical studies to develop more advanced and effective treatments for pediatric diseases. Institute scientists will conduct investigations to:
- Develop new ways to diagnose and treat childhood diseases
- Better understand the cause of diseases
- Identify why some children develop diseases and others do not
- Determine why some treatments work for some but not others
- Learn how interactions between the environment and genetics may contribute to a sudden increase in certain pediatric diseases
- Explore how genes influence childhood diseases
- Help prevent diseases in children
Center for Metastasis Research
One floor of the Center for Biomedical Discovery will house the Center for Metastasis Research. Scientists in the Center for Metastasis Research will work together to create tailor-made cancer treatments specifically designed for each patient. Although metastasis is known as a leading cause of cancer deaths, most research to date has been focused on treating primary cancers. In the Center for Metastasis Research, there will be a novel emphasis on the exploration of metastasis--which requires a very different approach than treating primary cancers. This center is one of only six centers in the country to focus on the study of metastasis.
Interactive Environment
The Center for Biomedical Discovery will be built to enhance the collaborative culture of its occupants. This state-of-the art structure will include architectural features designed to frame an efficient and flexible work environment.
- Public and common areas will be built as double height spaces, permitting interaction between users of adjacent floors.
- Laboratory floors will be organized in two blocks to promote a highly interactive environment.
- Offices will be configured to allow views through support spaces and into laboratories, creating openness throughout the building.
Optimal Location
The center's location, on the northeast corner of Drexel Avenue and 57th Street, will facilitate travel to and from affiliated programs in the Center for Integrative Science (formerly the Interdivisional Research Building) and the Jules Knapp Research Center. Enclosed walkways on the first and third levels will connect the new building to the Biological Sciences Learning Center (BSLC). The more public elements of the building--clinical offices, divisional administration and conference facilities--will be easily accessible on the ground floor.
