Pitt opens $28 mil. vaccine research lab

Pitt celebrated the opening of its Center for Vaccine Research yesterday in the newly designed… Pitt celebrated the opening of its Center for Vaccine Research yesterday in the newly designed eighth and ninth floors of Biomedical Science Tower 3.

The National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded the University with the grants necessary to construct the $28.1 million facility.

The CVR facility, which now holds both the Vaccine Research Laboratory and the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, will allow Pitt to continue to further research of vaccines for infectious diseases like SARS, West Nile virus, Dengue fever and tuberculosis.

The center will also focus on finding vaccines for diseases that can be used as a weapon for bio-terrorism.

According to the School of Health and Sciences, the CVR facility is one of only 13 facilities of its kind, and it is the second vaccine research facility to open nationally.

In a press conference, Arthur S. Levine, senior vice chancellor for Health and Sciences and dean of the school of Medicine, Donald S. Burke, director of CVR and dean of the Graduate School of Public Health at Pitt and Michael G. Kurilla, director of the office of Biodefense Research affairs and assistant director of Biodefense Product Development for NIAID discussed their roles and plans for the new facility.

“Infectious diseases are an ongoing threat,” Levine said. “News causes for disease are being discovered daily. This facility is concerned with the creation of vaccines to protect against a list of agents that are naturally occurring and man-made. We are truly about to do the Lord’s work.”

The facility’s new director, Dr. Donald S. Burke – whose decorated career included the development of the Hepitius A vaccine – hopes that the CVR will develop vaccines to protect and control infectious diseases and epidemics.

“Our long term vision here at the University of Pittsburgh is that of a comprehensive program that spans from basic bench research through clinical trials to field distribution of our vaccines,” Dr. Burke said.

The CVR will focus on the academic and philanthropic endeavors to build international relationships as well as collaborations with other medical and research facilities to prevent bioterrorism and develop means of protection against deadly epidemics like HIV and AIDS.

Fifty years ago, Pitt made history with the development of the polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk and his team of researchers. The minds behind the CVR hope that the new facility will further Pitt’s commitment to global health.

Although the CVR will primarily focus on Tuberculosis, Influenza, Dengue, West Nile and AIDS vaccines, the facility leaders promise to assist other university scientists in their biodefense efforts.

“Pitt already has advanced expertise in dealing with these A-list diseases,” said Dr. Burke. “It is a 12 to15 year process to develop vaccines. It takes time, energy and quality staff.”

The CVR will hold 100 to 150 employees both in the BST3 building and in other campus locations. All personnel will be specially trained and receive FBI clearance. Other security measures include filtered air and doubly inactivated waste – both parts of homeland security guidelines for safety.

Following the press conference, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the eighth floor of the BST3 facility.

Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg was joined at the ceremony by Congressman Mike Doyle (D-Pittsburgh) and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato. It was a two-ribbon cutting ceremony for “N plus one redundancy, joked Dr. Donald Burke.

“The economic impact of this new facility will be felt by the residents of Pittsburgh and all of southwestern Pa.,”Onorato said. “It is a big day for Pitt, this region we call home and the global cause.”