Less than a year after groundbreaking, a Topping-Out Ceremony was held Oct. 3 for the new home of the Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, one of the top-tier aging institutes in the country.
President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, welcomed a crowd of construction workers, scientists and other guests to the ceremony at the new building, located at the corner of Floyd Curl and Charles Katz drives, adjacent to UT Health’s Medical Arts & Research Center and across the street from UT Health’s Greehey campus.
Traditionally, topping out refers to placing the last beam atop a structure during construction. The event was hosted by J.T. Vaughn Construction LLC, the construction managers.
The Barshop Institute, said Dr. Henrich, “ranks at the top of all aging institutes in the U.S., bringing together the world’s leading scientists in aging and longevity research, providing them with the latest technologies in the application of cutting-edge research methods, and supporting their drive for excellence in scientific inquiry.”
Dr. Henrich recognized Ann Barshop, who with her late husband, Sam, provided the philanthropic support in 2001 to propel the institute to new heights. “Thank you, Ann and family, for your dedication and generosity to the important basic science and translational work that this institute is committed to,” he said.
The new three-story, 109,000 gross-square-foot building, is a $70 million project. The first floor of the new building will include open research labs, laboratory support, administrative and research faculty offices, and a large vivarium with support spaces and cage wash facilities. The second and third floors will accommodate research labs and faculty offices. An open air bridge will cross over Floyd Curl and connect the Barshop to the South Texas Research Facility.
Construction on the new building is expected to be complete by December 2019.
The post Topping-Out Ceremony held for new Barshop Institute appeared first on UT Health San Antonio.