February 15 , 2007
Contact: Scott Charton
Office: (573) 882-9724
Cell: (573) 864-9672
Email: chartons@umsystem.edu
The proposed University of Missouri-Columbia health sciences center to be financed from the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative will focus on treating cancer and teaching future health care professionals, UM President Elson S. Floyd said Thursday.
President Floyd told Missouri newspaper publishers and editors the proposed structure would not house medical research laboratories. If such laboratories are built, the University would not use funds from the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative for that purpose. The new building would host relocated functions of Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and an expansion of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, the president told members of the Missouri Press Association and The Associated Press.
"This should clear away any question about whether stem cell research would occur in a University of Missouri structure paid for with proceeds from the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative," President Floyd said. "It also removes any question about protecting the University's academic freedom."
President Floyd continued: "The University of Missouri will utilize these funds for facilities to teach future healers and to battle cancer – missions that were always intended to be part of this new structure, consistent with the University's missions of education, service to our citizens and building our state economy."