Building our vision for the future of precision medicine
Dear colleagues,
I am so excited to share updates from the groundbreaking for the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies in Phoenix on Wednesday. It was a wonderful event attended by about 300 invited guests, including city, county, and state elected officials, Arizona Board of Regents representatives and several of our valued donors whose generosity has been instrumental in making this facility a reality. We had beautiful weather, which made the day all the more enjoyable after a summer that never seemed to end. All in all, it was an auspicious kickoff for the extraordinary new facility that we believe will transform health care innovation in Arizona and far beyond.
Illustration courtesy of McCarthy + SmithGroup
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella, PhD, was the first speaker to address the crowd. In talking about CAMI prior to the event, he said: “A strong life sciences innovation ecosystem is vital for Arizona’s future, both for the health care our population will need and for the economic development opportunities necessary for the state to thrive. As the home to the southwest’s leading academic medical center, the University of Arizona is in the perfect position to lead the way, and CAMI is a vital part of this.”
We also heard from Arizona Board of Regents Chair Cecilia Mata, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, CAMI Inaugural Executive Director Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, and SmithGroup Design Director Mark Kranz, FAIA. We were thrilled to see a large turnout from McCarthy + SmithGroup, the design-build firm that is now starting construction on our new building. You can view photos from the event on our website.
When the building is completed in 2027, CAMI will stand seven stories tall and boast 200,000 square feet of space at the corner of Seventh and Fillmore streets, adjacent to the Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building. It will include state-of-the-art research laboratories, clinical spaces, meeting facilities, and even an urban garden and café. While construction progresses, CAMI research is being conducted on the second floor of the nearby Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building, ensuring that our momentum never slows.
We are grateful to everyone who has supported CAMI’s mission and to McCarthy + SmithGroup for helping bring our vision to life. Through this collaboration, CAMI will capitalize on the U of A’s research and expertise, positioning Arizona as a leader in advanced immunotherapies research and treatment.
As Dr. Bhattacharya shared, “CAMI presents a significant opportunity to move the basic immunological discoveries being made at the University of Arizona and our partner institutions into new therapies ... and start new companies focused on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases with an immunological basis.”
Together, we are moving toward a brighter future for Arizona’s health and wellness. Let’s celebrate this historic milestone and the inspiring path that lies ahead!
Michael D. Dake, MD
Senior Vice President for University of Arizona Health Sciences