About

From the PBI Director

The Pappajohn Biomedical Institute (PBI) is a scientific community seeking to understand the fundamentals of biology and disease and to extend our discoveries into real-life applications that improve human health.

“Safety” is not my top priority for the PBI.

Of course, I want a safe environment for all our trainees, staff and faculty. But for the PBI, I want us to dream large, to imagine what could be, and to be fearless in pursuing science and improving human health. I want us to be bold and not afraid of failing - if we never fail, we are not stretching far enough.

Founded in the fall of 2014, the PBI includes investigators focused on five thematic areas. PBI members hold academic appointments in departments across the university, and many conduct their research in the hub of the PBI, the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building (PBDB). In the PBDB, we have removed as many walls as possible—both literal and figurative—to enable our scientists, engineers, physicians and trainees to see and hear and learn from each other on a daily basis. We work hard to reduce barriers between scientific and technological specialties and enable scientists to work across disciplines. We embrace biological problems in all their complexity and tackle some of the most intractable medical problems. Our gathering spaces, including our coffee shop, buzz with ideas and strategies for investigation. This environment catalyzes discovery and innovation.

How do we measure our success?

By our discoveries and the creative papers we publish.
By the new treatments, preventions, and diagnostics arising from our research.
By the personal and scientific growth of our trainees.
By the patents we generate and the biotech companies we start.

By working together, PBI investigators accelerate the pace of research and generate new knowledge and understanding that will make a big difference for human beings.

In Memoriam: John and Mary Pappajohn

The John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building are enduring monuments to the extraordinary philanthropy of John and Mary Pappajohn. Through their generous support, these state-of-the-art facilities were made possible, greatly advancing the University of Iowa’s academic medical center. Their contributions also extended to the Pappajohn Pavilion at UI Health Care, the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center, and the creation of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers at the University of Iowa and four other Iowa colleges and universities.

About John & Mary Pappajohn

The John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building are named in honor of John and Mary Pappajohn, whose philanthropy made possible both the institute and the magnificient building in which it is housed.

John Pappajohn, a highly successful Iowa venture capitalist and philanthropist, and his wife, Mary, were among the university’s most generous supporters. Their philanthropy for the University of Iowa’s academic medical center led to the naming of the Pappajohn Pavilion at UI Hospitals and Clinics and the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center. Their generosity also created the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers at the UI and at four other Iowa colleges and universities.

The Pappajohns provided significant philanthropic support for several other UI areas, including Hawkeye Athletics, Hancher, the Pomerantz Career Center, the UI museum of Art, and UI Libraries.

John Pappajohn immigrated to Iowa from Greece as an infant. At age 16, after his father’s death, he began managing his family’s grocery store in Mason City, Iowa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the UI in 1952 and went on to become one of the university’s most accomplished alumni. A 1995 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award, Pappajohn was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the UI in 2010. During his career, he owned Pappajohn Capital Resources, a venture capital fund, and founded Equity Dynamics Inc. Mary Pappajohn received her bachelor’s degree in related art from the University of Minnesota. She served as a trustee of the Des Moines Art Center and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The Pappajohns also were generous supporters and proponents of the visual arts and volunteers for leading arts organizations nationwide. They were recognized with the prestigious National Award for Philanthropy in the Arts.

About the Building

John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building: A hub for scientific discovery

The hub of the Institute is the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, which opened in 2014. The building has six floors of research labs and a mix of wet and dry labs. Lower levels contain the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging.

A green design enables a gold level LEED certification that will contribute to a cleaner world. The architect of record is Rohrbach Associates, PC of Iowa City, IA. The design architect is Gwathmey Siegel and Associates Architects, LLC of New York, NY.

Translating Discovery to the Clinic

A fundamental understanding of biology and disease is the engine that powers progress in medicine. For Institute discoveries to make a difference, they must be translated to people.

To facilitate translation to the clinic, the Institute will encourage studies in humans through several mechanisms:

Encourage proof-of-concept and pilot studies to evaluate novel hypotheses
Include physicians and clinical scientists, as well as basic scientists in the Institute
Facilitate human studies through connections to the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS)
The outstanding faculty of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and the exceptional facilities of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics make it possible to extend discoveries into patient care

Translating Discovery to Industry

To facilitate translation to industry, the Institute will use several mechanisms:

Encourage development of biotech opportunities

The Institute will enlist a few trusted advisors to facilitate translation to industry and the development of new biotech companies

Provide office space for entrepreneurial advisors

They can help identify opportunities
They can meet with and educate graduate students and postdoctoral fellows about translating discoveries and inventions to industry

Pappajohn Biomedical Institute