IU School of Medicine dedicates Medical Education and Research Building in new Indy Health District

“This facility is a symbol of the deep partnership between IU Health and Indiana University and our shared belief in the power of academic medicine to alleviate suffering, to save lives, and to improve the health of all Hoosiers.”

- Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine

 

It’s been over a decade since leaders at the Indiana University School of Medicine and IU Health cast the synergistic vision for a world-class facility in downtown Indianapolis that would not only train medical doctors but also create space for innovative biomedical science, ultimately impacting Hoosier health for the better.

This vision is fast becoming reality. On April 22, IU held a dedication ceremony for the School of Medicine’s new Medical Education and Research Building, a 326,000-square-foot, 11-story flagship facility that will open this summer. Right next door, IU Health is building its new 2.6-million-square-foot, 864-bed hospital. The medical campus also includes the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute and IU Health Neuroscience Center. It’s all part of the newly announced Indy Health District encompassing 1,500 acres on the city’s north side.

“The proximity of this new Medical Education and Research Building to our new downtown campus ensures that generations of trainees, health care providers and researchers developing new therapies here will directly impact the patients we see each and every day,” said IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy.

In addition to new classroom spaces, the building includes an eight-story research tower, making room for more than 120 scientists and creating space for collaborative innovation. Having the latest technology and a thriving scientific community will help IU School of Medicine recruit and retain top talent, said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of the IU School of Medicine and executive vice president for university clinical affairs at IU.

“It will help us attract the best students, the most talented scientists, educators and physicians who will serve Indiana residents for decades to come,” Hess said.

IU President Pamela Whitten spoke about the School of Medicine’s thriving research programs in Alzheimer’s disease, musculoskeletal disorders and other diseases and the school’s role as a key partner to the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, known as IU LAB, which is partnering with industry to accelerate drug development and commercialization.

Whitten thanked IU Health for its generous gift of $145 million toward the total $230 million cost of the Medical Education and Research Building. She also recognized the support of donors including Dave and Susan Roberts, who gave $10 million to outfit a suite of neurological research labs, and Diane K. Werth, MD, who gave $5 million for the building’s state-of-the-art anatomy lab.

“In the coming years, we can expect to see the IU School of Medicine contributing in major ways to improve Hoosier health and reduce the burden of illness in society with the Medical Education and Research Building as a vibrant hub of student life and as an epicenter of partnership, innovation and excellence,” Whitten said.

 

The first three floors of the building will be dedicated to the school’s priority mission — training future physicians. It’s the first time since 1959 that the IU School of Medicine has built new classroom space on its Indianapolis campus.

“Every part of the educational space in this building was designed with one goal in mind — community,” said Bradley Allen, MD, PhD, interim executive associate dean for educational affairs at IU School of Medicine. The building’s three-story atrium will serve as a “town square” for learners, faculty and staff to meet up and enjoy the collaborative space and abundance of natural light. It’s surrounded by classrooms, study spaces, student resource offices and the medical library’s new makerspace. Technology will enable lectures and meetings to be broadcast to the medical school’s eight regional campuses, enhancing interaction.

Learner wellbeing was central to the building’s design with medical student services now centralized, Allen noted. A Clinical Skills Center will help students prepare for their future patient interactions. The new Surgical Skills Center will benefit both learners and experienced surgeons, who will be able to practice difficult procedures or explore novel surgical techniques.

IU medical student Myke Spencer, an Indianapolis native and former Indianapolis Public Schools teacher and district administrator, said he is thrilled to see the medical school, health system and private partners coming together to create a health district that will benefit not only medical trainees but also the people living in the surrounding community.

“We, the students, are especially appreciative that our feedback was clearly heard in the creation of this new building,” added Spencer, who is president of the IU School of Medicine Class of 2026 and chairperson-elect for the Student National Medical Association. “This center is a beautiful reminder of the school’s commitment to the best possible educational experience for present and future generations of students.”

An open house welcoming the entire IU School of Medicine community to tour the Medical Education and Research Building is planned for June 26. More details to come.