Barrow Neurological Institute is partnering with Plaza Companies and Holualoa Companies to develop an innovative new 10,000-square-foot dry laboratory at Park Central that will further establish Phoenix as a destination center for medical discovery.
Investigative work at the Barrow Neuro Analytics Center will span nearly all categories of neurologic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS), vascular diseases (stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage), headache and pain disorders, epilepsy, neuroinflammatory disorders (MS), and malignant brain tumors).
The new facility will be located in the Lieb Building at Park Central, between Barrow’s main campus and Creighton University Medical School. When fully occupied, this space will house eight to ten principal investigators, each with their respective support staff to create a neurological disease research center of excellence.
The laboratory will house offices and work stations as well as two large open tables for undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, and conference/common spaces to foster collaboration among the 56 full-time employees and 16 student trainees. It is partially funded by a $1 million grant from the federal government secured with the help of Senator Krysten Sinema. Barrow also recently received ARPA funding with a $10 million grant through the Governor’s Office to fund a study of COVID-19’s effect on Alzheimer’s Disease patients.
The Barrow Neuro Analytics Center will provide an ideal training and collaboration setting for students from Creighton University Medical School, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona College of Medicine to build research capacity in Phoenix.
It also enhances the ecosystem of healthcare, research, and education in the PHOENIX MEDICAL QUARTER. This designation encompasses over 100 acres in the midtown region in general and Park Central specifically. Some of the key members include Creighton University Health Sciences Campus, Barrow Neurological Institute, Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center campus, WearTech Applied Research Center and RadNet imaging clinic at Park Central, Alliant School of Nursing, WCUI Smith Chason, DMG Children’s Rehabilitative Services and several others at Park Central.
“This new laboratory is an incredible addition to the bioscience infrastructure we are creating at Park Central and the PHOENIX MEDICAL QUARTER,” said Sharon Harper, Chairman and CEO of Plaza Companies, the company spearheading the Park Central revitalization effort alongside Holualoa Companies. “This will further cement Park Central’s impact on the area and create extraordinary opportunities and workforce training for our future healthcare leaders from Creighton University, ASU and UA.”
Research areas of investigation will include environmental epidemiology, advanced neuroimaging, global health, neurologic drug development (computer modeling and investigator-initiated trials), health services, health equity, and data science focusing on administrative data and electronic health record research.
“We are thrilled to be opening our new research laboratory in Park Central,” says Brad Racette, MD, FAAN, Chairman of Neurology and Senior Vice-President at Barrow Neurological Institute. “The design of the complex speaks to the vision for this laboratory to be a center for innovation at the intersection of technology and data science. The strategic positioning between Barrow Neurological Institute and Creighton University Medical School will further enhance the research education mission of both organizations.”
Plaza Companies and Tucson’s Holualoa Companies have teamed up to redevelop Park Central into a vibrant destination, which once was the city’s first official large-scale shopping mall. The companies have transitioned the expansive space from a retail center to an almost 500,000-square-foot bustling community hub ideal for playing, working, congregating and celebrating the arts.
Park Central has developed a particular focus on bioscience over the past few years with the addition of Creighton University as well as an influx of bioscience companies to the project.
“We are very pleased to welcome this new addition to the Barrow Neurological Institute footprint to Park Central,” said Stan Shafer, Chief Operating Officer for Holualoa Companies. “We are excited about the impact Park Central is having on the medical and research communities in Phoenix, and it is gratifying to see such an influx of bioscience work in the heart of the city.”
Park Central includes 500,000 square feet of Class A creative office and retail space available for lease with the ability to accommodate tenants ranging from 3,500 square feet to more than 100,000 square feet in size. It features exclusive tenant patios, on-site restaurants and amenities, a stunning mid-century modern design, 15- to 25-foot ceilings, convenient bike path and light rail access and ample parking.
