SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jan. 28, 2025 — In a move that could substantially transform the 21st Century biomedical research landscape of Arizona, the HonorHealth Research Institute is today announcing the formation of its Center for Translational Science.
As the Research Institute enters its third decade, the Center for Translational Science is seen as a major investment by HonorHealth in its ability to bridge the gap between basic science discoveries and translating those discoveries into better ways to diagnose and treat diseases, bringing new hope and answers to patients and their families.
“The creation of HonorHealth Research Institute nearly 20 years ago was our way of putting HonorHealth on the frontier of providing our patients with world-class care,” said Todd LaPorte, CEO of HonorHealth, an integrated health system of nine acute-care hospitals and more than a hundred community clinics and medical practices. “With this new Center for Translational Science, we intend to further expand novel science and our abilities to work with academic institutions, universities, the private sector, government agencies and other hospital groups towards the substantial betterment of humanity.”
John Neil, M.D., HonorHealth’s Chief Physician Executive and Network Strategy Officer, said the new Center for Translational Science will further cement HonorHealth’s global reputation for delivering among the very best medical care: “We have served patients from all 50 states and more than 30 nations worldwide. Our new Center for Translational Science will build on our successes and exponentially increase the scientific rigor that is the backbone of our medical service.”
Mark Slater, Ph.D., is CEO of HonorHealth Research Institute, which currently is pursuing hundreds of cutting-edge clinical trials in a comprehensive effort to help heal patients suffering with everything from cancer to cardiovascular disease to neurological conditions and more.
“Our vision for the new Center for Translational Science is as vast as the needs of our patients who look to us every day to help find ways to extend their survival and enhance their quality of life,” Dr. Slater said. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve established our research foundation, merging the best care and best science together to make a difference for patients right here, right now.”
Today, using new techniques and disciplines rooted in the molecular (DNA) basis of disease, the new Center for Translational Science will build on the Research Institute’s expertise in developing first-in-human clinical trials, immune-system therapies, cellular therapies, targeted therapies and others to develop treatments that attack diseases, while minimizing negative side effects that might compromise a patient’s health.
“This is a significant investment that is being made to promote and develop science that will make a difference across a wide spectrum of healthcare,” Dr. Slater said. “It’s a Center that will attract talent, technology and resources. It is a nexus for collaboration.”
Michael Gordon, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of HonorHealth Research Institute, added: “The Center for Translational Science is a transformative opportunity for HonorHealth and the HonorHealth Research Institute. We intend to capitalize on our experience and expertise in not only developing new drugs, but also in helping advise pharmaceutical companies about how best to develop their newest agents.”
Sunil Sharma, M.D., MBA, Chief of Translational Oncology Drug Discovery at HonorHealth Research Institute, has for more than three decades been at the national forefront of research, drug and clinical trial development.
“This is a major commitment to transform HonorHealth Research Institute into a world-class leader in translational cancer research and to build external interfaces with significant partners and collaborators,” Dr. Sharma said. “In order to do this, we are investing in the recruitment of a full basic and translational science team that will lead to this outcome. While this commitment is substantial, it is essential to develop a world-class, cross-cutting translational research program.”
Frederic Zenhausern, Ph.D., MBA, a senior scientist at HonorHealth Research Institute, and director of the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine at the UA School of Medicine-Phoenix, said the new Center for Translational Science will provide the framework for integrating the efforts of physicians and scientists.
“I think it is a collaborative effort that will accelerate discoveries and advance therapies and drug-delivery systems,” said Dr. Zenhausern, who also is a Professor at the university’s Basic Medical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. “I think it will have an impact validating academic discoveries for producing outcomes that could be delivered to the patient.”
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About the HonorHealth Research Institute
HonorHealth Research Institute is an international destination that is at the forefront of providing patients with a better quality of life through its clinical trials and innovative treatment options. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the institute’s team of physicians and researchers collaborate with experts from across the nation to offer life-changing therapies, drugs and devices. At HonorHealth Research Institute, patients have access to tomorrow’s health innovations, today. Learn more at: HonorHealth.com/research.
Method of Research
Randomized controlled/clinical trial
Subject of Research
People