The UM System president says the $220-million NextGen Precision Health building in Columbia will reduce the cost of health care.
UM System President Dr. Mun Choi says a primary goal is to make health care more affordable.
“And that’s why we want to reduce the time from the bench discovery to applications on the back side. So this facility is very unique, because we have clinicians as well as researchers working side-by-side,” Dr. Choi says.
The facility is named for Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, who predicts NextGen will cement Missouri’s place as a leader in biomedical research.
President Choi says the recent visit by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins to the NextGen Precision Health building in Columbia signifies the importance of the bond between Collins and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt.
“Personal bond, but also professional bond with Senator Blunt in developing new ways to support biomedical research that’s going to impact people’s lives tomorrow, a year from now and a decade from now,” says Dr. Choi.
He says Missouri now has all of the crucial elements to even better fulfill its mission of research, education and service to Missouri.