The small room that will house the new Nursing Biobehavioral Research Lab in Claire Fagin Hall may not look like much, but for the researchers in the School of Nursing, it's a place to call their own.
School of Nursing faculty and staff gathered Tuesday to cut the ribbon on the new Nursing Biobehavioral Research Lab. The lab is one of the first of its kind in the country and will serve seven or eight research teams.
School of Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis, Associate Dean for Nursing Research Linda McCauley and director for the Center of Biobehavioral Research Barbara Medoff-Cooper spoke about the lab's development and the research planned.
Meleis emphasized the importance of the lab for the School of Nursing. "It is for the present, to support the faculty who are here, but also for the future, to attract more faculty and more students to be doing this type of research," she said.
Planning for the lab began two years ago, when Fagin Hall was due for renovation. At the time, the School of Nursing had very limited lab space for its researchers. The Biobehavioral Lab was conceived to give Nursing faculty and student researchers a permanent place to work and store samples.
During the opening, McCauley said the new lab will enable Penn to expand its research efforts. "It really opens another door of knowledge for us," she said. "We don't necessarily have to find a lab to do this for us anymore, we can do it ourselves."
The lab will house three main research cores - groups of associated projects - in tissue culture, molecular biology and environmental exposure and nutrition. These groups will conduct research on topics including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
McCauley explained that the new lab is also essential for interdisciplinary research within the field of nursing, because of its history in integrating different areas of knowledge to improve patient health.
"In these labs we have nurses, we have physiologists, we have nutritionists, we have pharmacists," McCauley said.
"It's an exciting day for us," she added.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
