In making the announcement, founders James E. and Virginia G. Stowers acknowledged the efforts of city, state, and academic leaders to strengthen life science research at the University of Missouri at Kansas City and at the University of Kansas.

     “Virginia and I have been gratified to witness the efforts of our government leaders in Kansas and Missouri to support growth of excellent life science at both state universities. Their actions have reinforced to us that they are as committed as we are to making Kansas City the best place for life science research and discovery development. Our confidence in their efforts to help the two universities has led us to conclude that the next phase of growth in the research programs of the Stowers Institute should occur in Kansas City.”

     The planned expansion will double the size of the Institute’s world-class scientific research facility in Kansas City. The location of the second phase of campus development has not been determined, but it will be constructed as close to the existing site as possible.

     “International leaders in cell and molecular biology have marveled at both the quality of our research team, assembled by President & CEO William B. Neaves, Ph.D., and Scientific Director Robert E. Krumlauf, Ph.D., and the speed at which we have reached this point,” said Richard W. Brown, Co-Chairman of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Chairman & President/CEO of the newly established BioMed Valley Corporation. “Now, with the momentum achieved in growing the basic research program, it is time to decide where the next phase of the Institute’s expansion will occur.”

     The timing of the expansion has not been set, but the Institute’s board intends for construction to begin before the current facilities are filled.

     “At the present rate of recruitment, the existing buildings of the Stowers Institute campus will be filled within four or five years,” said Neaves. “Maintaining our current pace of adding new laboratory leaders will require expansion of the research facilities before the end of this decade.”

     Brown said the board’s decision to expand the Stowers Institute within Kansas City followed the efforts taken by city, state and civic leaders in both Kansas and Missouri to strengthen life science research in the geographic area that Jim Stowers has named BioMed Valley.

     In making the announcement to a group of business and civic leaders, Jim Stowers noted the importance of collaborative partnership among the universities and research organizations in the Kansas City area. This concept is embodied in the creation of BioMed Valley Corporation, a new organization headed by Brown and dedicated to discovery development and fundraising for the research partners of BioMed Valley.

     “Efforts by government leaders to make life science a high priority have earned our confidence that there will soon be enhanced support for our university partners,” Brown said. “In BioMed Valley, we firmly believe there is no state line. We intend to go forward with our university partners in precisely that spirit.”

     Jim Stowers concluded, “If we all pull together to achieve the BioMed Valley dream, Kansas City can become the best place anywhere for life science research and for turning discoveries from that research into products that can help people everywhere.”

     Situated on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts research on the fundamental processes of cellular life. Through basic research of the highest quality, the Stowers Institute seeks insights that will lead to more effective ways of preventing and curing disease. The Institute was founded in 1994 by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have dedicated their fortune to supporting the basic research that will provide long-term solutions to gene-based diseases.