CAMI groundbreaking ushers in new era for Health Sciences

Oct. 31, 2024
Six smiling people in suits and dresses hold shovels in sand with a University of Arizona Health Sciences banner in front of them.

From left, Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, inaugural executive director of CAMI and a professor of immunobiology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson; Michael D. Dake, MD, senior vice president for the University of Arizona Health Sciences; Cecilia Mata, chair of the Arizona Board of Regents; Suresh Garimella, PhD, University of Arizona president; Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix; and Mark Kranz, SmithGroup vice president and design director, pause for a photo before shoveling dirt during the groundbreaking ceremony for the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies on the Phoenix Bioscience Core.

Photo by Kris Hanning, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications

The University of Arizona Health Sciences held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 30 for the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, a biomedical research hub to be located on the Phoenix Bioscience Core. The event took place near CAMI’s future site at the corner of Seventh and Fillmore streets adjacent to the Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building that houses the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Nearly 300 people attended the invitation-only event, which was emceed by Michael D. Dake, MD, senior vice president for U of A Health Sciences. University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella, PhD, was the first of several featured speakers, including CAMI Inaugural Executive Director Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Arizona Board of Regents Chair Cecilia Mata and SmithGroup Design Director Mark Kranz, FAIA.

“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,” said President Garimella. “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.”

The CAMI building is being designed and constructed by the design-build team of McCarthy + SmithGroup. The more than 200,000-square-foot, seven-story building will house research laboratories, a clinical suite, administrative and meeting spaces, and an urban garden and café. The building is expected to be completed in 2027.

Architectural illustration of a large building from a streetside vantage point.
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella stands on a stage with hard hats, shovels and dirt at his feet.
A man and woman dressed in dark blue suits stand and chat with others in an outdoor setting. Both are smiling.
A man and woman smile as they look at a 3-D building model in a glass case.
Several dozen people stand behind a large box of sand with shovels in hand. The banner across the front of the box reads “University of Arizona Health Sciences.”
Two men in dark blue suits and red ties stand next to each other, chatting.
Hundreds of people sit and stand under a large white tent while listening to a speaker.
Two men in dark suits and ties stand on either side of a women in a dark blazer in an outdoor setting with red and blue balloons over their heads. All are smiling.
Four smiling men in suits hold shovels in sand with a University of Arizona Health Sciences banner in front of them.
A woman puts her hand on the shoulder of a man in a suit as they talk.
Several silver shovels with the University of Arizona logo on them lay in the dirt.
A women dressed in a dark pantsuit stands at a podium with the University of Arizona logo on it. There is a rendering of a building on a backdrop behind her.
Architectural illustration of a large building from a streetside vantage point.
Michael D. Dake, MD, senior vice president for the University of Arizona Health Sciences, wearing a dark suit, stands on a stage at a clear lectern with the U of A logo on it.
Two smiling men in dark coats face each other as they talk.
Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, inaugural executive director of CAMI and a professor of immunobiology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, wearing a dark suit, stands behind a clear lectern with the U of A logo on it.
A woman flanked on either side by a man in a suit, stand outside under a tree. All three are smiling.
A stack of event programs with small, silver lapel pins scattered around it sits on a table. The program cover reads “Groundbreaking.”
Cecilia Mata, chair of the Arizona Board of Regents, dressed in a dark blazer, stands at a lectern with the University of Arizona logo on it.
Two men in dark blazers face each other as they talk. One has his hand on the other’s elbow.