Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Begins Construction On State-Of-The-Art Laboratory In Pasadena

    PASADENA, CA, March 24, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), Pasadena's only dedicated medical research institute, has been granted a building permit to begin site preparations for a new world-class research facility in the heart of Pasadena at 686 South Fair Oaks Avenue, which will replace several old HMRI laboratories throughout the city. The new laboratory will house basic science and clinical study facilities for HMRI's patient-focused research programs.

This month, contractors will begin site excavation and preparations for laying the research lab's foundation, a process that is expected to take approximately one month. The new building's structural frame, which will be constructed of concrete to reduce vibration and sound emissions that affect electron-microscopes and other sensitive scientific equipment, is expected to be complete by early October. Interior construction and fit-out is slated to begin in December 2016 with a projected move-in date of December 2017.

Founded in 1952, HMRI is in the midst of its first major capital campaign, to generate support for this revolutionary building project, which will bring HMRI physician-scientists, scientists from research collaborations and key staff together on one campus.

"As a boutique research institute, we have the advantage of putting highly diverse teams together in one new building, facilitating the cross-disciplinary brainstorming that drives our most ambitious programs. This sharing of space will allow us to continue our outsized contribution to research--For our size, we are remarkably productive, but our scientists desperately need a lab that supports their work. We are all anxious to move into this great facility," said Dr. Marie Csete, President & Chief Scientist of HMRI. "We are optimistic that our capital campaign goal will be met, as more and more of the local community understand the significance of this building to Pasadena and the importance of HMRI's research generally. HMRI's mission is changing lives through multidisciplinary, patient-focused research. Our programs are led by physician-scientists who have deep clinical experience and bring that clinical experience into their laboratories."

Dr. Csete is also confident that the new HMRI lab will anchor development of a long-anticipated biomedical research corridor along Fair Oaks Avenue, near the Huntington Memorial Hospital. With other great clinical and research organizations moving to the area around the Hospital, including Doheny Eye Institute and the Shriner's Hospital, "we have an enormous opportunity to be the intellectual center of a vibrant research corridor through our collaborations with the Hospital, our new neighbors, and selected strategic partners."

For more information about the new laboratory, the research at HMRI, or to make a donation, visit: http://forward.hmri.org/

About Huntington Medical Research Institutes
Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public-benefit organization based in Pasadena, California, dedicated to changing lives through multidisciplinary patient-focused research. Since its beginnings in 1952, HMRI research has led to development of diagnostics and medical devices that impact many patients worldwide. HMRI is Pasadena's only dedicated medical research institute, with robust research programs focused on diseases of the brain, heart, liver, and gut. With more than 47,000 sq feet of research space, HMRI's physician-scientists bring deep clinical experience into the laboratories to inform basic research and clinical studies including active clinical studies in neurodegenerative disease, hepatitis, and heart failure. For more information, visit: http://www.hmri.org

CONTACT:
Dave Silvey
Communications Officer
Huntington Medical Research Institutes
(626) 795-4343
[email protected]

James Chisum
MGA for HMRI
(562) 493-6023
[email protected]

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