The University of Florida Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, or SCIRC, celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated laboratory space Aug. 27 at UF Health Shands Hospital.
The SCIRC is one of the nation’s leading centers focusing on the treatment of sepsis. Its team of experts engage in research that aims to not only improve survival for sepsis through diagnosis and treatment but to also improve quality of life for patients in the months and years after their experience with sepsis.
Guests gathered to tour the new space, which is lined with photos of current and past members of the center. A portrait of Lyle Moldawer, Ph.D., a professor emeritus in the Department of Surgery, past director of the center and a pioneer in the field of sepsis research, holds a place of honor in the heart of the new laboratory’s offices. Moldawer established the center a decade ago alongside Frederick Moore, M.D., also a professor emeritus in the department.
Planning for the project began in October 2023 with strong institutional support across the College of Medicine and UF Health. The new space boasts new laboratory equipment and administrative space for the many personnel who support the SCIRC in its goal to lead the nation in developing clinical solutions for sepsis and its long-term effects.
Philip Efron, M.D., director of the center and the Cracchiolo Family Professor of Surgery in the UF Department of Surgery, and Robert Maile, Ph.D., co-director of the center agreed the new laboratory will create an environment perfect for not only advancing innovative, collaborative research, but also for creating a space to train the next generation of surgeon-scientists.
“This laboratory will give surgical residents and trainees access to the rigorous didactic and hands-on research experience that a leading research institution like UF can offer, helping prepare them to become future leaders in academic surgery and critical illness research,” Efron said.
Efron also remarked that the investment in the lab is an investment in the growth and future of critical illness research at UF. He expressed his gratitude for all the hard work that made the renovation possible from team members including Ricardo Ungaro, the SCIRC’s laboratory manager who has been dedicated to the center’s mission for more than 25 years. He again shared a word of thanks for support from the leadership teams in the College of Medicine, including those in the Department of Surgery and the Office of Research, and leadership at UF Health Shands.
Learn more about the groundbreaking research happening at the SCIRC on their website.
