Sun Health Institute opens research building, adds staff

Source: Erin Zlomek, The Arizona Republic


Along with opening a second 36,000-square-foot medical research building, the Sun Health Research Institute announced the hirings of four new employees expected to investigate the puzzles presented by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

At the new research center's unveiling April 9, the company announced these new staff additions:

Paul Coleman, Ph.D., senior scientist and co-director of the L.J. Roberts Center for Alzheimer's research. Dr, Coleman plans to research how early Alzheimer's begins.

Dr. Philip Khairallah, M.D., fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and former head of cardiovascular research at the Cleveland Clinic, will develop cardiovascular research at the center and study a drug thought to play a role in hypertension.

Dr. Jeffrey Stern, M.D., MPH, will lead the new Center for Prostate Cancer and Urologic Research. His first project will be a Food and Drug Administration study of a drug treatment for bladder cancer.

Dr. Sandra Ann Jacobson, M.D., Ph.D. will be a geriatric neuropsychiatrist with the Center for Healthy Aging at the Institute. She will focus her research on the causes of dementia.

The new building, at 10515 Santa Fe Drive, Sun City, will provide more room for clinical research trials and can accommodate more patients willing to participate in those trials, according to the company.

The Sun Health Research Institute employs 80 medical professionals. The staff has conducted more than 70 clinical trials. The new center consists of three floors. While the first two floors will be used for trials and research, the third floor will house the newly expanded tissue repository for the institute's Brain and Body Donation program. Expansion of the repository will enhance the institute's ability to research Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, orthopedics and cancer, according to the company.