PULLMAN, Wash. – The new Veterinary and Biomedical Research Building (VBRB) at Washington State University was dedicated Thursday, a research advance for WSU scientists investigating important biomedical questions affecting human and animal health.
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Some of the health issues that will be researched include:
• Obesity and diabetes: Understanding food intake and how energy is regulated in the body will help prevent obesity and diabetes.
• Emotional health: Knowing the biological basis of emotions promotes a deeper understanding of wellbeing for companion and production animals and can improve the lives of people with affective disorders.
• Sleep and circadian rhythms: Learning how circadian biology and rhythms (or dysrhythms) affect animal biology can improve daily function in both animals and people.
• Neurological disease: Uncovering the causes of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases may lead to treatments to repair loss of function.
• Heart health: Identifying the biophysical mechanisms of cardiac muscle contraction may develop new insights into cardiac function and disease.
• Drug addiction: Discovering the biological actions of commonly abused drugs may help combat the devastation of addiction and prevent relapses.
The new state-of-the-art research facility is located just east of the entrance to Martin Stadium and south of the Beasley Coliseum parking lot. Construction began in 2010, and move-in is expected to be complete this summer.
The total project budget is just over $96 million, with Lydig Construction acting as project contractor and SRG Partnership, Inc. overseeing architectural design.
For more information about the project, click here.