Dr. Philip Malan describes how an unlikely partnership between two rivals is creating the future of medicine in Arizona.

In academics and athletics, the heated rivalry between the University of Arizona and Arizona State University is best described by the name of their annual clash in college football: The Duel in the Desert.

But while the Wildcats and Sun Devils were battling each other for the Territorial Cup three years ago, then University of Arizona President Peter Likins and ASU President Michael Crow weren’t staring each other down from opposite sides of the field, they were sitting together to discuss a historic and powerful partnership.

Dr. Philip Malan, vice dean for academic affairs

That partnership led to the rapid development of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, in partnership with Arizona State University, a three-building, four-year campus that began educating its first class of 24 medical students in August. “The two state universities have had rivalries, both on the athletic fields and in academics,” Malan said. “Those things had to be put aside. Doing that allowed something of quality to be developed less expensively and more quickly.”

ABC
The partnership between the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Arizona State University is best symbolized by the Arizona Biomedical Collaborative building No. 1 (ABC 1).

The $29.6 million, 85,000-square-foot building draws on the strengths of both universities and will not only train and educate the doctors of tomorrow, it will provide expanded opportunities for research. The ASU Department of Biomedical Informatics, part of the School of Computing and Informatics in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, is housed on the first two floors, while research labs of the new UA Department of Basic Medical Sciences are on the third and fourth floors of the downtown Phoenix building.

“When the new faculty came, they were almost all researchers, but the Phoenix campus research labs weren’t ready yet,” Malan said. “So they did their research at ASU labs until the ABC 1 building opened. That was a key element in getting the new medical campus started.”

ABC 1 includes “dry” computational and informatics labs and contemporary molecular biological and medical “wet” lab space. In the Biomedical Informatics Department, students will study and develop links between IT, biology, statistics, cognitive science and psychology, computer science, engineering, and biomedical sciences. The Basic Medical Sciences Depart-ment will involve students directly in fundamental studies aimed at the prevention and treatment of stroke, heart attack, cancer, neurological and behavioral disease, bone and mineral disorders, obesity, and diabetes.

The historic building was funded by the Arizona State Legislature, under House Bill 2529, which allocated $440 million for construction projects at the state’s three universities. At the October 15 grand opening ceremony, ASU President Crow said ABC 1 is an epicenter of endeavors to help spawn a new era in the advance of modern medicine. Current UA President Shelton called the building a critical step forward for a “historic and powerful collaboration” between the universities, cementing a partnership that is “dedicated to improving the human condition.”

And Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon emphasized the project’s importance as a major first step in establishing the greater Phoenix area and Arizona as a strong competitor in the knowledge economy. The “1” in the title of the building, Gordon pointed out, indicates it is but one of several planned expansions on the Phoenix campus.

“The vision is to expand the Phoenix campus to take advantage of the resources that are in the city and really grow a high quality program because of what Phoenix has to offer,” Malan said. “And we predict it will have a big economic impact on the city, an estimated $2 billion a year. Downtown Phoenix, under the leadership of Mayor Gordon, is taking off, and the new campus will only fuel that growth. Phoenix is turning from a sleepy Western town into a vibrant city.”

Arizona wins
Integrating the Phoenix campus, the UA Tucson campus (roughly 100 miles away), and the main ASU campus in western Phoenix is an ongoing challenge, Malan admitted. But it’s being overcome by again leveraging each university’s strengths.

For example, UA is a long-time leader in telemedicine, and a 20-station telesuite has been installed in ABC 1, enabling participants to conduct virtual meetings with the Tucson campus or view taped and live feeds. The telesuite can be used to broadcast a live surgery, with PowerPoint slides on the outer screens detailing specific steps throughout the procedure.

With ASU just a few miles away, the Phoenix campus has access to a number of scientists and experts for lectures and teaching, allowing the new campus to get up and running quickly with a smaller UA-based faculty. Nearby ASU also creates joint hire possibilities that are attractive to a number of sought-after medical professionals, enhancing recruiting efforts by allowing scientists to teach at ASU and conduct research at the college of medicine.

“We’re working together to overcome obstacles,” Malan said, noting the two universities are now working together on a long-term master plan for the 15.7-acre campus. “It’s a unique partnership. We’re proving what two rival organizations can accomplish when they work together for the benefit of the entire community.”

The Phoenix campus is expected to double in size to 48 students next year with continued growth as the project is developed. Whether these future medical professionals will root for the Wildcats or Sun Devils is up for debate. But there is no question who the real winner will be—the state of Arizona.