Wisconsin Medical School Breaks Ground on Cancer Research Facility

The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wis., recently broke ground on a 150,000-square-foot cancer research facility that will be the first of its kind in both the city of Milwaukee and in eastern Wisconsin, according to a news release. The MCW Cancer Research Building will centralize the college’s 700 cancer-related researchers and 135 lab spaces currently spread across its campus into a single location. The central hub will also allow greater synergy between projects and allow for the easier incorporation of community partners and research participants.

Construction costs will total about $100 million, $10 million of which comes from the State Building Commission. The facility is expected to open its doors in late 2024. MCW is partnering on the project with construction manager Mortenson and architect CannonDesign.

“The MCW Cancer Research Building will serve as a hub for cancer innovation and bring together the brightest minds to forge innovations that will address the cancer burden impacting patients and families in eastern Wisconsin and beyond,” said John Raymond, Sr., MD, MCW president and CEO. “Perhaps most importantly, this facility will allow us to increase our attention to reduce cancer disparities among underrepresented groups in our communities.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Wisconsin ranks above the national average for rates of both cancer incidence and cancer mortality and has continuing disparities related to geography and among minority populations.

“We’re making a long-term commitment to developing advanced research programs, additional faculty and broader infrastructure that will convene brilliant physician scientists and researchers across disciplines to lead promising cancer studies right here in the Milwaukee area,” said Joseph Kerschner, MD, executive vice president and provost of MCW and the Julia A. Uihlein, MA, Dean of the MCW School of Medicine.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.