Summary

In September 2007, OHSU was contacted by the state of Florida and invited to apply for funding to form an OHSU owned infectious disease research facility along the Atlantic coast of the state. Other world-renowned institutes such as the Scripps Research Institute, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, the Stanford Research Institute, and the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies in San Diego have all received funds from Florida to build similar institutes in the state. OHSU’s Florida institute would be modeled after the OHSU Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in Beaverton which conducts a variety of studies on infectious diseases and vaccination.

In January 2008, Florida announced that it has earmarked $60 million for the proposed OHSU facility. The City of Port St. Lucie has also committed to provide $53 million of infrastructure expenditures for the project. Further contract negotiations will begin almost immediately with the goal of finalizing all construction agreements and funding agreements with the state and local participants in Florida.

Operational funds will be obtained through National Institutes of Health research grants. The facility would be affiliated with OHSU and the current VGTI facility in Beaverton. However, staff from the Beaverton institute will not be transferred to the Florida facility. The Beaverton institute will remain in Oregon where it is expected to continue to grow and flourish.

Key points

• OHSU is honored to be among a select group of the world’s most highly-regarded institutions such as the Scripps Research Institute, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, the Stanford Research Institute, the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies and the Max Planck Institute who have been invited by the state of Florida to construct satellite research facilities.
• An OHSU satellite facility in Florida will form unique new partnerships with some of the world’s leading research organizations who have also established satellite facilities in Florida. These regional partnerships will lead to cross-country partnerships with OHSU’s Oregon operations and will benefit Oregon residents through health research advancements and economic development.
• Oregonians will directly benefit from the research in this proposed facility. The institute’s studies will be aimed at protecting the population against infectious diseases such as AIDS, West Nile Virus and hepatitis. The institute will also investigate better, safer ways to vaccinate the population against disease.
• Oregonians will also benefit in the form of increased access to clinical trials and research opportunities through expanded collaboration with other Florida-based institutes in close proximity. OHSU and Oregonians could also benefit in the form of additional NIH research grants created by this facility.
• The facility and its research may also increase philanthropy or venture capital interest in the university which will in turn benefit Oregon residents. For example, increased philanthropy may result in new services or facilities for Oregonians
• No Oregon or OHSU funds would be directly invested in the center. However, initially some OHSU staff time will be required in order to locate and recruit a director and scientists for the new institute.