University of Missouri Breaks Ground on Precision Medicine Institute

University of Missouri System leaders—along with state and national officials—broke ground late last week on the NextGen Precision Health Institute at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a central facility supporting a systemwide precision health initiative.

The June 21 event also served as the official launch for the NextGen Precision Health Initiative, which supports the research activities of the system’s four universities and health system, according to officials.

University leaders believe the initiative “is expected to accelerate medical breakthroughs for patients in Missouri and beyond, increase collaboration among UM scientists and industry partners, attract research funding, generate jobs, and train a new generation of healthcare scientists and practitioners who will help Missouri address the healthcare needs of the future.

The approximately 265,000-square-foot, five-story precision health facility will provide space for more than 60 principal investigators, about half of whom will be newly recruited in areas such as engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, animal sciences, and arts and science. The $220.8 million facility is funded through a combination of private and corporate support, contributions from MU and the UM system, and the state of Missouri. In FY20, which begins July 1, the state has designated $10 million for the institute, officials noted.

University administrators, students, faculty and staff as well as U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Missouri Sen. Caleb Rowden attended the groundbreaking.

“Precision medicine has the potential to completely transform healthcare delivery in this country. The NextGen Precision Health Initiative will accelerate progress toward new medical breakthroughs at this pivotal time in the medical research space,” Blunt said. “One of my top priorities in Congress has been establishing a pattern of sustained, increased federal investment in medical research. I’m proud to see Missouri become home to this brand new facility where students will have the opportunity to work alongside experts and researchers developing new treatments for the most costly and deadly diseases.”

The initiative will involve every UM university and has the potential to be especially impactful for students, who can learn side-by-side with leading researchers. “The University of Missouri-Kansas City will harness its deep strengths in data science and bioinformatics to collaborate with the NextGen Precision Health Initiative,” University of Missouri-Kansas City Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal said. “The outcomes research UMKC is leading is transforming lives, and transformation through research is exactly what this initiative plans to deliver.”

James Abbey, senior director for strategic innovation for the UM System and MU, will serve as project manager for the facility. The expected completion date for the facility is Oct. 19, 2021.