Resources & Strengths
The UMKC School of Medicine has a diversity of biomedical research strengths enabling it to provide leadership in research at UMKC. Since medicine is at the very heart of all biomedical research efforts, the School's role is critical for UMKC to achieve maximal productivity from its life sciences research.
These strengths include well-established and productive partnerships with several clinical affiliates, including:

• Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City,
• Truman Medical Centers,
• Children’s Mercy Hospital, and
• Western Missouri Mental Health Center.

Our clinical affiliates provide knowledgeable and productive clinical faculty to enhance research programs, as well as access to patients from diverse demographic backgrounds presenting a wide variety of clinical conditions.

Additionally, the Department of Basic Medical Science has developed strong collaborative relationships with our clinical partners providing an outstanding opportunity for translational research. Collectively, these relationships enable the SOM to study basic mechanisms of disease in the laboratory, contribute to the development of specific modalities, and evaluate the efficacy of these therapies in clinical settings.

Endowed Chair Program
One of the great strengths of the School of Medicine is its Endowed Chair program. The School has jointly recruited 18 Endowed Chairs in collaboration with its affiliated hospitals. These Chairs provide an established nidus for highly productive translational research, which has led to an overall increase in Federal funding, and foundation and Industry sponsored research.

Future Growth
Important new facilities have been authorized and are either in the building or planning phases. Improvements identified in the School of Medicine's strategic plan include total renovation of animal facilities on Hospital Hill, renovation of 15,000 square feet of laboratory space and acquisition of core scientific equipment necessary to support modern scientific research. In addition, a new Health Sciences Building is in the final stages of architectural design. This new complex, expected to be completed in 2005, will house the Schools of Pharmacy and Nursing and research programs from selected Hospital Hill stakeholders.