University of Pennsylvania Opens Translational Research Center

The University of Pennsylvania opened the $370 million Anne and Jerome Fisher Translational Research Center in May of 2011 in Philadelphia. The 531,000-sf biomedical research facility is designed for maximum integration with the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine and the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. The Translational Research Center houses the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism; the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics; and the Penn Cardiovascular Institute. The eight-story facility was designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects and built by L.F. Driscoll Co. of Bala Cynwyd, Pa. The interdisciplinary center features open labs with 144 wet benches per floor and offices arranged in pods to promote interaction and collaboration. The facility will support 100 principal investigators and 900 staff.