Since 2024, construction crews have been hard at work on Brown University’s William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories, a seven-story, 300,000 SF facility for life sciences research taking shape in the heart of Providence’s Jewelry District.
On Wednesday, August 20, workers hoisted the structure’s final steel beam into place. It was decorated with the well-wishes of University leaders, construction workers and community members involved in the project’s planning and development. And in the spirit of topping-off ceremony tradition, an American flag and small pine tree sat atop the beam.
“Everybody knows that this has been a challenging time for higher education — we’re coming through it strong here at Brown University, and we need moments like this where we’re looking forward and celebrating and thinking about the future of the University, the city, the state, the work that we do and the future of the people we educate here,” Brown President Christina H. Paxson said during the event.
With the building’s opening projected for 2027, Paxson said the topping-off milestone offers the chance to celebrate the many contributors who helped advance the project to this point. In the case of Danoff Laboratories, that includes members of the construction team; tradespeople; the architects at TenBerke and Ballinger who led design; lead contractor Suffolk Construction; the University’s planning, design and construction team; the donors making the project a reality; and the leaders, workers and apprentices represented by the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and Building Futures, both of which the University has long partnered with on major projects. Work has proceeded on schedule and on budget, despite New England realities like the rain that started unexpectedly just as the ceremony began.
Upon its completion, Danoff Laboratories will serve as a state-of-the-art facility for integrated research ranging from molecular-level science, to biotech innovations, to patient therapies and interventions. Modern laboratory spaces illuminated by natural light, a street-level education lab accessible to the public, and plentiful interior and exterior gathering spaces are among the facility’s signature elements. The first floor will house spaces for interactions with participants in clinical trials for new medical treatments or other patient-based research — an element uncommon to most lab buildings, but reflective of Brown’s focus on solving real patient challenges.
The facility is named in recognition of a generous gift from William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff, parents of Class of 2023 graduate Amelia Danoff and strong supporters of Brown. It will serve as a hub that fuels Brown’s aspirations to grow its research for impact, Brown Provost Francis J. Doyle III said during the ceremony.
“It will be the centerpiece of our vision for an integrated biomedical ecosystem where we can do research that spans the trajectory from fundamental science and clinical research all the way to translation to innovations, therapeutics and devices that will have impact,” Doyle said.
The space is designed to drive new science and innovation in three ways, Doyle noted: by bringing together faculty, researchers and students with complementary expertise in biology, medicine, engineering and computational science to tackle daunting challenges facing human health; by focusing on signature Brown strengths in aging, brain science, cancer and immunity, with cross-cutting expertise in RNA and biomedical engineering; and by emphasizing work that can be rapidly translated into scientifically and medically useful products. With goals to attract and cultivate both future scientists and additional research funding, he added, Danoff Laboratories will create a dynamic environment for Brown researchers and expand their work with biotech and industry partners to accelerate the timeline to having a positive impact on people.
