Located on the University’s Old Road Campus, the Cyrus Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building is a major new facility to host world-class vaccine and pandemic sciences research. Over 9,000m2 of high-quality lab and office space will support research focused on keeping the world safe from infectious disease threats.
The building will bring together over 400 research scientists including from the Jenner Institute, the Pandemic Sciences Institute, the Oxford Vaccine Group, the Department of Paediatrics and the Nuffield Department of Medicine. They will have access to state-of-the-art, highly secure laboratories that can handle a variety of new and emerging pathogens, enabling them to identify potential threats and develop vaccines and treatments to combat them. The building will also be a hub for clinical trials as well as research on epidemiology, surveillance, social and behavioural sciences, policy and ethics.
The groundbreaking ceremony, which was attended by members of the Poonawalla family, began with remarks from Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey and Martin Staehr from Laing O’Rourke, the company chosen to oversee construction of the building. This was followed by the formal breaking of the soil and a celebratory lunch.
Read the full story on the University of Oxford Development Office website