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Ivy Foundation Translational Research Building dedicated

New School of Medicine building to be used for research, education

<p>A plaque commemorates the dedication of the new building for the School of Medicine.</p>

A plaque commemorates the dedication of the new building for the School of Medicine.

The Medical School dedicated the Ivy Foundation Translational Research Building Friday in honor of a $45 million dollar gift from the Ivy Foundation.

Peggy Shupnik, senior associate dean for research at the Medical School, said the building will house researchers studying the regulatory processes of various drugs and devices, clinical trials, epilepsy and children’s diseases.

“This is the first building that the Medical School has had for training in translational research,” Shupnik said.

Translational research focuses on turning scientific findings into practical applications to enhance human health.

Psychiatry Prof. Boris Kovatchev will lead one of the many translational research groups in the building. His team is working to create model mathematics of how insulin, glucagon and glucose change within the body.

This research is part of the artificial pancreas project, which aims to drastically change the way patients with Type 1 diabetes live their lives by allowing them to wear an artificial pancreas device around their waist.

Another group in the building focuses research on epilepsy, and will use the new space to carry out clinical trials.

Other projects include studies of population sciences as well as disease prevention and control.

The new building will primarily be used for research, but will also serve educational purposes. Faculty and students will be taught how to effectively market products and applications, as well as how to get them through the Federal Drug Association's regulatory processes.

“The building takes people from different disciplines — medicine, biology, physics, engineering, and brings them together,” Shupnik said.

The dedication was attended by University President Teresa Sullivan, Dr. Richard P. Shannon, executive vice president for health affairs; Medical School Dean Dr. Nancy Dunlap; and Dr. Robert W. Battle, a University cardiologist and president of the Ivy Foundation.

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