This spring, University of Utah Health unveiled what leaders say is the only facility of its kind in the world. The James LeVoy Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation (CMI), a $50-million hub, is designed to bring life-changing innovations from the lab to the patient’s bedside faster.
“We don’t think there’s another building like this with these features and a hyperfocus on developing medical technologies,” says Mark Paul BA’87, executive director of the center.
The U has a long history of biotech innovation, from the Jarvik heart to the bionic leg. Until now, that work has happened in disconnected spaces. CMI brings the facilities together under one roof, with a bio-tissue surgery discovery suite, prototyping labs, clean room manufacturing, startup incubator spaces, and areas for training and collaborating.
“If you’re testing a new shoulder device and something’s not fitting right, you can 3D print a new component, modify it, and come right back up,” says Paul. “It allows you to innovate in an operating room environment, rapidly.”
Named in honor of inventor and philanthropist James LeVoy Sorenson and made possible by a $22 million lead gift from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, the center skyrockets the U’s biotech capabilities.
“In bringing all these specialties together in one place, we are rising to the level of the very best innovation institutions on earth,” says Paul.
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