John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center – Phase II

The Phase 2 addition to the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center (PNRC) is a state-of-the-art research facility that promotes world-class biomedical neuroscience research by enhancing interdisciplinary communication and collaboration as a means of facilitating innovation and creativity. The PNRC co-locates researchers from ten institutes including the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Working together scientists will further groundbreaking discoveries and medical advancements impacting neuroscience research globally.
The new 322,000 square foot research center provides an innovative laboratory environment that attracts and retains the finest scientists. The design utilizes flexible lab architecture that can change over time and accommodate diverse research approaches from cell culture to computer science. Open laboratories and offices and state-of-the-art infrastructure promotes collaboration and ensures that the structure is ahead of its time well after completion. Key core technical facilities support ongoing investigations, while seminar and conference rooms provide the setting for the intellectual interactions that drive modern neuroscience. The building also features a vivarium, a cafeteria, lab support spaces and a new, state-of-the-art 17.4T imaging suite.
A variety of innovative sustainability features were integrated into the facility including geothermal wells; ground source heat pumps; chilled beams; LED lights; and a photovoltaic array which augments energy generation and usage. The research center is also home to a technologically advanced MRI suite, the first of its kind in the world, which is capable of providing high resolution imaging.
From the outside, it blends with the campus and the neighboring community. From within, it supports and inspires in a welcoming and efficient environment that allows neuroscience to flourish as a leading intellectual enterprise in the post-genomic era. At the heart, the center features an atrium that is a source of light, a pathway sheltered from the elements, and a magnet for informal interactions. The atrium symbolizes and amplifies the energy driving the neuroscience research of the future.