Southern Research has received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to build the Translational Hub for Research, Innovation, Validation and Excellence (THRIVE).
THRIVE will be a national shared-use biomedical research facility in Birmingham. The facility will be “focused on accelerating the development, validation and adoption of new approach methodologies … designed to better reflect human biology and reduce reliance on animals in drug discovery and development,” according to a Southern Research news release.
“This NIH award gives us the opportunity to build something much more than a new laboratory,” said Harry Ledebur, chief operating officer at Southern Research. “THRIVE is designed to close the gap between innovation and application by bringing human-relevant models, advanced analytics, reference data, and scientific and regulatory expertise together in one environment. This integration will allow us to rigorously evaluate NAMs, benchmark their performance and generate the evidence needed for their use across drug discovery, development and regulatory decision-making.”
THRIVE will be near Station 41, Southern Research’s commercialization hub, which supports biotech startups.
“THRIVE represents an important step in building the next generation of biomedical research capabilities at Southern Research and across Birmingham,” said Dr. Ray Watts, interim CEO of Southern Research and president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Together, Southern Research and UAB are building the scientific infrastructure and collaborative environment needed to turn discovery into impact. THRIVE strengthens Birmingham’s position as a destination for biomedical innovation and expands our ability to move promising science toward better treatments for patients.”
