The University of Iowa revealed plans for a cutting-edge Cancer Research Building to spur groundbreaking discoveries and address Iowa’s growing cancer needs.

The University of Iowa is taking a bold step forward in the fight against cancer with plans for a cutting-edge Cancer Research Building. This ambitious project comes at a crucial time, as Iowa faces one of the nation’s fastest-growing rates of new cancer cases. The facility aims to revolutionize cancer research by bringing together experts from multiple health sciences disciplines under one roof.

New facility to address rising cancer rates in Iowa

Following approval from the Iowa Board of Regents in September 2024, the university has begun early-stage planning for the state-of-the-art research facility, per Iowa Now. The building will be located at 200 Newton Road, currently home to Westlawn, strategically positioned near UI Health Care university campus, the Carver College of Medicine, and other research facilities.

Mark Burkard, director of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, emphasizes the facility’s importance: “We want to do the very best for each patient. This involves not only delivering cutting-edge care today but also making discoveries that will give patients better options tomorrow. Research plays a critical role in advancing medicine, and cancer is an area where research is saving lives. This new building will expand our research that focuses on the unmet needs of Iowans.”

Cross-disciplinary collaboration drives innovation

The project uniquely brings together representatives from five health sciences colleges—dentistry, nursing, medicine, public health, and pharmacy—to contribute to the facility’s programming and design. This collaborative approach reflects the university’s commitment to comprehensive cancer research.

Dean Jill Kolesar of the College of Pharmacy, who recently secured a $10 million grant for ovarian cancer research, highlights the significance of this interdisciplinary approach: “Discoveries at the University of Iowa and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center are changing the way cancer is treated, and this new building will accelerate those advances and make the University of Iowa one of the foremost centers for cancer research and treatment in the world.”

Facility preparations underway

Before construction can begin, the current Westlawn building will be demolished once its occupants—UI Student Health and UI Health Care Child Care Center—are relocated. Plans include moving student health services to the Iowa Memorial Union and establishing a new child care center along Melrose Avenue.

The project represents a significant step forward for the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Iowa’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, in its mission to advance cancer research and treatment options for patients.

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