A new partnership between Florida Hospital and the Burnham Institute for Medical Research at Lake Nona brings two powerhouse organizations together to tackle the growing health problems of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The goal of the two organizations, who are collaborating to establish a new health research institute, is to bridge the distance between research in the lab and treatment at the bedside.
Dr. Steve R. Smith, an internationally-renowned diabetes and obesity researcher, was introduced on Monday as the executive director of the new Florida Hospital - Burnham Clinical Research Institute. The Institute, scheduled to open in 2012, will be housed in a 35,000 square foot building on Princeton Street. Located adjacent to the Florida Hospital South Campus, the new facility will serve as the gateway to Florida Hospital's "Health Village".
"With this partnership, we hope to change how diabetes and obesity research is conducted," said Dr. Steven R. Smith. "This new institute will help break down the distance that exists between research and the clinic and help make it possible to deliver results faster and on a personalized level."
Community and business leaders, who gathered for the announcement on Monday, lauded this as another milestone for the fast-emerging life science cluster that is transforming the Metro Orlando economy.
