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(Courtesy: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center)
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is making another bold move to accelerate cancer research, celebrating the groundbreaking for a 244,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center – Transformational Cancer Research Building (TCRB).
Slated to open in 2024, the 12-story facility on the campus of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine will be a unique hub for cancer research, innovation, wellness, and patient-centered care, all under one roof.
“As the only cancer center in South Florida designated by the National Cancer Institute, our mission is to pioneer groundbreaking cancer research, innovate, and advance cancer cures,” said Stephen D. Nimer, MD, director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and executive dean for research at the Miller School. “To fulfill this mission, Sylvester is constructing a premier cancer research facility that will bring hope to patients in South Florida and beyond.”
The TCRB, being built at 1425 NW 10 Ave., will be an ultramodern patient care and research facility to support new and emerging directions in cancer treatment. It will be an iconic building, new to the South Florida skyline, that fosters collaboration and team science, attracting more top-tier researchers to the Sylvester team.
Located in one of the most diverse populations in the U.S., the TCRB will harness its geographical position to work toward eliminating racial, ethnic, cultural, and other cancer care disparities.
“It is no small task to commit to both improving cancer care and addressing disparities,” said Julio Frenk, MD, MPH, PhD, president of the University of Miami. “We have an opportunity in Miami to design cures for different populations and amplify our impact to global communities. The TCRB will enable us to promote health access and equity, which is at the core of our research and clinical care mission as an academic healthcare system.”
Dipen J. Parekh, MD, chief operating officer for UHealth – University of Miami Health System, executive dean for clinical affairs, and founding director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute at the Miller School, echoed that thought.
“We have a responsibility to focus on the toughest challenges in medicine. This facility will integrate our basic science research and clinical care to help us discover and deliver the newest breakthroughs to our cancer patients,” Dr. Parekh said.
Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School, said, “We are continually motivated by a deep desire to have a positive impact on the world and drive meaningful change. It is what we teach our students and how we approach research. This new facility is designed to support our goal to tackle the most challenging cancers.”
Wellness and survivorship will be strongly promoted within the building. The new facility will focus on total-body wellness during cancer treatment to improve quality of life. It will set the standard for survivorship programs that prioritize recurrence prevention for the benefit of patients and their families.
The goal, explained Dr. Nimer, who also is the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in cancer research, is to leverage technology, luminary researchers, and multidisciplinary collaboration to create a central location for cancer care innovation.
“We will harness the power of state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories and the latest network and machine-learning technologies to accelerate the translation of groundbreaking scientific discoveries into life-saving and practice-changing treatments and therapies for patients in South Florida, and share these transformative results with patients, providers, and cancer centers worldwide,” he said.
This new facility will epitomize cancer care’s evolution to more personalized and targeted care. “It will expand cancer care to promote wellness and quality of life; there is no better place for that than Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Adam E. Carlin, chair of the Sylvester Board of Overseers.
“This new building is a symbol of who we are and where we’re going as an institution. It speaks to our patients, their families, our nurses, staff, and researchers. It speaks to everyone in the South Florida community and the worldwide cancer community, declaring how dedicated and serious we are about finding new cures for cancer,” Dr. Nimer said.
