In conjunction with Rafael Viñoly Architects, Kirksey has completed the design for this new landmark research facility. The South Texas Research Facility provides UTHSC-SA with approximately 200,000 sf of new research space and allows significant expansion of the institution’s basic and translational research programs. Research will focus on scientific areas highly relevant to South Texas (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, cancer biology including molecular therapeutics, age related neurodegenerative disease and developing technologies to protect the nation from Bio-Terrorism). An important focus will also be the training of future clinician scientists from the South Texas region. A National Center for Integrative Sciences (NCIS) will be developed in this facility as well. The goal for the NCIS would be significant expansion and integration of UTHSC research resulting in research breakthroughs in the following areas: Regenerative Medicine, Nanomedicine, Molecular Therapeutics, and Metabolic Biology.