The new education and research building under construction at UMass Chan Medical School will change the face of the Worcester campus and accelerate research into new therapeutics for some of the most challenging diseases that humans face. The nine-story biomedical research and education facility sits at the center of the campus, between the Aaron Lazare Research Building and the Albert Sherman Center. It will expand research space to accommodate more than 70 principal investigators and add educational and conference spaces to support the missions of all three graduate schools on campus.

Meeting the mission

Consistent with recommendations from the Association of American Medical Colleges that medical schools identify ways of helping meet the growing physician shortage, this additional space on campus will help UMass Chan expand class size to meet growing workforce needs in the health sciences.

Initial plans call for the co-location of the Horae Gene Therapy Center, the Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology and the Program in Molecular Medicine. Co-location of these departments and programs will open up space for more than 30 laboratories in the Lazare Research Building and Albert Sherman Center. 

Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification for energy efficiency and sustainability, the new 350,000 square foot building is scheduled to open in 2024. The general contractor for the new building is Shawmut Design and Construction. The architect is ARC, the same firm that designed the Sherman Center, in association with ZGF.