IU Medicine

SUMMER 2026

The Medical Education and Research Building is open. Now the real work begins.

In this edition of IU MEDICINE, we explore life inside the new facility — from the anatomy lab that changed how students move and learn, to the research floors where answers to Alzheimer's disease are taking shape, to the small suites where future physicians figure out not just what to do as doctors, but the healers they want to be.

People walking down the stairs in a building
people talking

Finding Community in the Nation's Largest Medical School

Inside the new Medical Education and Research Building, Professional Learning Communities make it feel just a little bit smaller.

Person working in a lab

The Person the Lab Runs On

In Donna Wilcock's Alzheimer's lab, Abigail Wallace is the person everyone trusts — with the mice, the money and the science itself.

Person wearing a coat headshot

The Room Where Medicine Begins

An open and bright anatomy lab at Indiana University School of Medicine influences how medical students move, learn and collaborate — while reinforcing respect for donors.

RECENT FEATURES

two researchers working on a laptop and talking
Summer 2026

A Makerspace for Medical Students

Need a skull to study at home? At IU School of Medicine, a 3D print lab gives medical students hands-on experience with the technologies reshaping medicine.

A scientist sitting on chair with her hand on her face smiling at the camera
Summer 2026

The Vascular Side of Alzheimer’s Disease

Most Alzheimer's research focuses on plaques. Donna Wilcock's lab at IU School of Medicine is focused on what's happening in the blood vessels — and why it matters just as much.

hands holding on surgery tools
Summer 2026

Practiced Precision

No harm to patients, maximum realism. Inside IU School of Medicine's new Surgical Skills Center, the stakes are low by design — because when the real moment comes, there's no room for error.

Three people sitting listening to someone else speaking
Summer 2026

Community, Adapted

The learning community model that works in Indianapolis doesn't work in a campus of 30 students, or a region that stretches into Chicago. Here's how Evansville, Northwest-Gary and West Lafayette made it their own.

A man and a women holding a hand plow
Summer 2026

What We Build

For six decades, medical education and research steadily outgrew their footprint. The Medical Education and Research Building marks a turning point — not just in sheer scale, but in how IU improves health.

VOICES AND INSIGHTS

Dean Jay Hess wearing coat talking to classroom
Summer 2026

A Farewell from the Dean

Jay Hess arrived at IU School of Medicine in 2013 with a vision for what the school could become. As he steps away, the Medical Education and Research Building stands as its most visible expression.

Stock image of letters on blue background
Summer 2026

Passing Your Values to the Next Generation

If you're over 70½ and have an IRA, a Qualified Charitable Distribution may be one of the most tax-efficient ways to support IU School of Medicine.

Dean Jay hess talking
Winter 2026

‘One of the Best Jobs Imaginable’

IU School of Medicine Dean Jay L. Hess announced this summer that he will step down from his leadership role in July 2026. We spoke to him about the decision and his future.

Stock image of letters on blue background
Winter 2026

Reducing Tax Liability When a Stock Grows in Value

By donating appreciated stock directly or through a life-income arrangement, investors can avoid capital gains taxes while making a transformational impact at IU School of Medicine.