UC Davis School of Medicine will take research and education to the next level at Aggie Square
By Edie Fernandez Ernst
Hundreds of researchers are moving into the new state-of-the-art facilities designed to foster public-private collaborations
(SACRAMENTO)
The UC Davis School of Medicine will be a key partner in expanding the university’s world-class research collaborations and discoveries at Aggie Square when the Sacramento innovation district opens May 2.
About 350 School of Medicine scientists and affiliated centers will conduct collaborative studies on public health, health policy, emerging technologies in neurosciences, cancer, surgical biomedical engineering and musculoskeletal research. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a longstanding School of Medicine partner, will be a significant collaborator in cancer and neuroscience research at Aggie Square.
Developed by Wexford Science & Technology and anchored by UC Davis, Aggie Square is a first-of-its-kind innovation district based on the UC Davis Sacramento campus that leverages the university’s strengths in research and teaching, industry and the community to create opportunities across the region. Aggie Square encompasses 11 acres and 1.2 million square feet at buildout.
Open wet lab space in Aggie Square. About 350 School of Medicine scientists and affiliated centers will conduct collaborative studies on public health, health policy, emerging technologies in neurosciences, cancer, surgical biomedical engineering and musculoskeletal research in the new space.
“The UC Davis School of Medicine is a nationally recognized research community, with $400 million annually in external research funding,” said Susan Murin, dean of the School of Medicine. “Aggie Square will be a game-changing catalyst for new research discoveries. We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting collaboration and help realize Chancellor Gary May’s vision to create more public-private partnerships.”
Aggie Square also will enhance educational opportunities for biomedical and UC Davis health professions students and clinicians with leading-edge anatomical and surgical training capabilities, as well as continuing education programs. The medical school will occupy about 300,000 square feet of collaborative research and education space in Aggie Square.
“Aggie Square is brilliantly designed with collaboration in mind, with researchers from multiple disciplines working side by side in shared lab spaces around core themes,” said UC Davis School of Medicine Vice Dean for Research Kim E. Barrett. “This is an incredible opportunity to literally bring our research community together and make new treatments and cures possible.”
The UC Davis School of Medicine is a nationally recognized research community, with $400 million annually in external research funding. Aggie Square will be a game-changing catalyst for new research discoveries. We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting collaboration and help realize Chancellor Gary May’s vision to create more public-private partnerships.”—Susan Murin, dean, UC Davis School of Medicine
Driving research and education innovation
Renowned School of Medicine surgical bioengineering scientists Diana Farmer and Aijun Wang recently relocated their research lab to Aggie Square.
“We’re especially looking forward to more space to house our students and research fellows, and being able to accommodate more simultaneous experiments,” said Farmer, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Surgery.
Wang expressed the team’s excitement to join a vibrant community of pioneering research teams and collaborators at Aggie Square, where technologically advanced facilities will fuel innovation at every level.
“This dynamic environment will amplify our team-science approach, accelerate the translation of discoveries into real-world solutions, and unlock new opportunities for commercialization that advance human health,” Wang said. “Being part of Aggie Square positions us at the heart of medical innovation — where more bold ideas will be transformed into impactful technologies."
UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering undergraduate students in the Quarter at Aggie Square program will benefit from the surgical bioengineering lab’s move to Aggie Square.
“We are the core teaching team for the Quarter at Aggie Square program for biomedical engineering undergraduate junior students,” Wang said. “Teaching students at our new translational labs can help them gain more tangible and effective translational and clinical experience.”
“We do a great job of that already within our center, but we are thrilled about the opportunity to work even more closely with UC Davis colleagues in other departments, as well as externally with community members, policymakers and beyond,” said Lyles. “The entire building is designed for exactly this purpose.”
Barrett emphasized that moving 350 researchers and affiliated labs and centers is a massive feat. The logistics include extensive fit-testing, relocating 2,200 pieces of lab equipment, and coordinating with 73 vendors to move the most specialized research equipment.
“We’re immensely grateful to the School of Medicine Office of Research facilities oversight team members who are working tirelessly to manage every detail to ensure that these research labs are relocated to Aggie Square successfully,” said Barrett.
Community partnership and economic benefits
Aggie Square is a partnership of the University of California, Davis, Wexford Science & Technology and the City of Sacramento. Aggie Square will be home to research programs, private industry, classrooms, housing that prioritizes university students, faculty and staff and public programs that engage local communities and entrepreneurs.
UC Davis School of Medicine The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu.
