The Next Era of Cancer Research
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building is transforming cancer care and research in South Florida.
Soaring 12 stories above UHealth’s downtown Miami medical campus, the new Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building rises as both a beacon of hope and a bold declaration that the next era of cancer research and care has arrived. Its gleaming glass-and-steel façade signals institutional ambition, philanthropic vision and scientific excellence. But what lies inside is even more transformative.
A Bold Leap Forward for Cancer Research and Care
As South Florida’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center and academic-based hub for early-phase clinical trials, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – University of Miami Health System and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has long been at the forefront of discovery. When the Griffin Cancer Research Building opened in fall 2025, it doubled Sylvester’s research footprint with an additional 244,000 square feet, creating a true engine of innovation where science and compassion converge.
The facility’s design — six floors of leading-edge laboratories with collaborative neighborhoods organized around research themes and state-of-the-art clinical care, as well as wellness spaces that bring patients and researchers under one roof — makes its purpose clear. Inside, the facility has an estimated total capacity for up to 1,000 staff members, including oncologists, geneticists, data scientists and epidemiologists, to work side by side to accelerate cures and deliver personalized medicine that will change the trajectory of cancer.
“Years ago, we dreamed of a place where the latest discoveries made by researchers at the U and the highest-quality cancer care would come together,” said University of Miami President Joe Echevarria. “Today, the Griffin Cancer Research Building makes that dream a reality at UHealth for patients and their families across our South Florida community.”
Where Cancer Discovery and Care Meet
The Griffin Cancer Research Building was designed to break down barriers between scientific research and patient care. Its second, third and fourth floors are devoted to healing, offering a clinic with 27 infusion bays, advanced imaging suites and an onsite pharmacy, alongside cancer supportive care services like nutrition counseling, yoga, art and music therapy, and a meditation room. Wig-fitting services help restore dignity in the Image Boutique and thoughtful art provides solace as part of the Art is Medicine program. The facility creates a seamless, patient-centered environment where hope and healing are infused into every space.
Just a short elevator ride away, AI-driven “dry labs” and glass-walled research “neighborhoods” foster collaboration on tumor biology, cancer epigenetics, translational and clinical oncology and cancer control. By linking these scientific worlds, discoveries can move faster from the lab bench to the patient’s bedside.
“By bringing research and clinical care under one roof, the Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building redefines academic medicine in Miami and sets a higher standard for how we turn discovery into outcomes,” said Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., chief executive officer of UHealth and executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Miami. “It reflects a systemwide commitment to move insights quickly to the bedside, personalize treatment for every patient and lead with compassion and science for South Florida and beyond.”
Limitless Scientific Ambition
Sylvester’s scientists already lead high-impact studies, from identifying biomarkers that speed drug approvals in myeloma to advancing new treatments for sarcoma and lymphoma, improving lives of patients living with ovarian, breast and prostate cancer and studies on gastrointestinal cancers, as well as cancer metabolism. The Griffin Cancer Research Building will take this momentum to the next level, expanding collaboration between its own faculty and also with top universities, pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions worldwide.
In 2025, Sylvester had more than 6,200 participants in 520 clinical research studies, reflecting its drive to match bold science with patient impact. Expanded research capacity now means treatments can be increasingly tailored to genetic, molecular and environmental factors, moving personalized medicine from promise to practice.
“Our mission to reduce the cancer burden in our communities and beyond is driven by scientific ambition and a deep culture of collaboration,” said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and executive dean for research at the Miller School. “Since 2012, we had a vision to build a world-class cancer center in South Florida to meet the needs of its 6.2 million residents. Having assembled teams of multidisciplinary, collaborative researchers, we are now able to provide state-of-the art facilities and scientific neighborhoods, where cancer discoveries can flourish. This new facility reflects that shared commitment to transforming cancer care in benefit of patients.”
Shaping the Future of Medicine
The need for such a center has never been greater. Florida bears the second-highest cancer burden in the nation, with one-third of its population living in South Florida. Each year, more than 160,000 Floridians are diagnosed with cancer, underscoring the urgency of Sylvester’s mission.
Situated among one of America’s most varied populations, Sylvester is uniquely positioned to conduct research that benefits communities both locally and globally. From breast and prostate cancer to blood cancers and those cancers disproportionately affecting this region, the Griffin Cancer Research Building will ensure discoveries serve patients everywhere.
“As an academic medical center, our mission is not only to deliver outstanding care but to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders in medicine,” said Dean Henri Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School. “This building anchors that mission and represents our commitment to forward-facing medicine. By training the doctors of tomorrow, we’re shaping the future of cancer care for our community and beyond.”
The Promise of Tomorrow
The Griffin Cancer Research Building is more than glass and steel. It’s a promise to patients, families and communities that the future of cancer care will be defined by innovation, compassion and an unrelenting pursuit of cures. For Sylvester, for South Florida and for all those touched by cancer, the next era begins now.
Tags: blood cancers, breast cancer, cancer care, Cancer Control Program, cancer epigenetics, cancer research, clinical trials, Dr. Dipen Parekh, Dr. Stephen Nimer, gastrointestinal cancer, GCRB, Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute