Contact: Jennifer Hollingshead
Office: (573) 882-0601
E-mail: hollingsheadj@umsystem.edu
The proposed University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Columbia health sciences center to be financed from the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative will focus on treating cancer and teaching future health care professionals, UM President Elson S. Floyd said Thursday.
President Floyd told ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ newspaper publishers and editors the proposed structure would not house medical research laboratories. If such laboratories are built, the University would not use funds from the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative for that purpose. The new building would host relocated functions of Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and an expansion of the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Columbia School of Medicine, the president told members of the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Press Association and The Associated Press.
"This should clear away any question about whether stem cell research would occur in a University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ structure paid for with proceeds from the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative," President Floyd said. "It also removes any question about protecting the University's academic freedom."
President Floyd continued: "The University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ will utilize these funds for facilities to teach future healers and to battle cancer – missions that were always intended to be part of this new structure, consistent with the University's missions of education, service to our citizens and building our state economy."
Reviewed 2010-06-17