The University of Arizona announced July 18 it had received an additional $4 million from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to support its new Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies facility on the Phoenix Bioscience Core.
The funding comes through federal funding provided to Maricopa County from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, according to an announcement from the University of Arizona.
The Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, will be located on the southwest corner of 7th Street and Fillmore. The 296,000-square-foot building will be a hub for UArizona’s life science research on the PBC. Expected to house more than 40 research teams, biomedical engineering and entrepreneurial programming. The work done by CAMI researchers will support the health of underserved communities and address the disproportionate impacts of current and future pandemics on the most vulnerable Arizonans. Studying the underlying causes of disease susceptibility and developing an immune profile of Arizonans at high risk for infection can lead to the creation of targeted, precision-based treatments to protect Arizona’s most vulnerable residents.
“There is a great need to expand research of new immunotherapies to combat ongoing COVID-19 effects, especially among our most vulnerable residents,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman, District 4, said in a statement. “Our investment in the University of Arizona Health Sciences and CAMI aligns with our commitment to improving the health of Arizona’s residents while also offering significant tangible fiscal benefits to Maricopa County and the state. We are proud to help welcome CAMI to Phoenix.”
This latest funding announcement for CAMI is in addition to the millions of dollars in funding the university has received supporting the project. In November 2022, UArizona announced it had received $150 million from the state of Arizona and $2 million from the Steele Foundation to support the program. Additionally, UArizona has also received $3 million gift to fund director of cancer research from Bruce and Patricia Bartlett, which was announced last month.
“This financial investment from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will catalyze advancements in both health sciences and economics as CAMI becomes the anchor for an innovation district that will establish Phoenix as a national hub for cell- and gene-based therapy research, startup activity, and corporate engagement,” said Michael Dake, MD, senior vice president of UArizona Health Sciences.
CAMI will provide a major boost to the economy, as well, with an expected economic return on investment of 2.5-to-1 in the first 10 years. It’s also expected to drive at least $140 million in local tax revenue for Maricopa County and Phoenix.