The new neuroscience facility will be a three-story building with total floor space of 37,700 square feet. Image courtesy of University of Miami.
The advanced laboratory equipment at the facility will enable neuroscientists to study molecular changes in the nervous system. Image courtesy of ©Nevit Dilmen.
The new neuroscience facility will be used for diagnosing and treating myriad neurological diseases.

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The University of Miami began construction of a new neuroscience facility at the Coral Gables campus in April 2012. It is located adjacent to the Cox Science Centre at the University campus.

The new facility is currently under construction and is expected to be ready by the end of 2013. It will provide great collaboration for scientists in the field to discover the neurological processes and related diseases, upon completion.

Details of the neurosciences research facility at University of Miami

"It will provide great collaboration for scientists in the field to discover the neurological processes and related diseases."

The new neuroscience building will be located in a three-story building with a total floor space of 37,700ft². It will be used as a centre for interdisciplinary research on neurological imaging and health research. It will have ample space for research laboratories, offices, a vivarium and an MRI suite.

The facility will enable the scientists from biology and psychology departments of the university to collaborate with the Miller School of Medicine. Scientists, clinicians and engineers will work together on fundamental aspects of brain function at the new facility.

The building will include a transformational facility and also provide training programmes for neuroscientists and health psychologists. The laboratory will be used for diagnosing and treating myriad neurological diseases.

Technology and equipment at the neuroscience building

The neuroscience building is installed with advanced functional magnetic resonance imaging equipment. It has a human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. It was hoisted into place and positioned within a specially shielded room on the first level of the building.

"It will have ample space for research laboratories, offices, a vivarium and an MRI suite."

The latest in molecular imaging is installed at the second floor of the building. The floor will also include a photon-based microscope for observing living proteins at work, plus a variety of cutting-edge microscopes for the research.

The advanced laboratory equipment will enable neuroscientists to study how molecular changes in the nervous system relate to behaviour.

The equipment will enable scientists to analyse molecular patterns in the nervous system to predict successful treatment of neurological diseases.

The research programmes in the facility will be equipped to study model systems in animals. The studies on animals can be correlated with human behaviour to find functional changes in different regions of the brain. The laboratories will be equipped with sophisticated systems to track the nerve cell activity and make real time connections to human behaviour in order to study the brain.

University of Miami neurosciences facility construction

The neuroscience building at the University of Miami broke ground for construction in April 2012. It is scheduled to be completed and become operational by the end of 2013.

Contractors involved with the research building

The pre-construction and construction services contract for neuroscience facility was awarded to Arellano Construction, a subsidiary of Obrascon Huarte Lain.

Tropic Mechanical was awarded with a $5m worth contract to provide state-of-the-art laboratory at the neuroscience facility. The work was completed in March 2013.

Sustainable features of the neuroscience facility

The building is being constructed in compliance with LEED Silver green-building standards. It is designed to be environmentally sustainable.

Financing for the University of Miami project

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributed $14.8m grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the construction of the neuroscience building in February 2010.


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