Neuroscience labs to receive May renovation
Many boxes clutter up the soon to be renovated rooms in the neuroscience area of the health professions building on March 3 at the Health Professions Building.
Labs in the Health Professions Building will receive $147,269 in renovations in May.
Facilities Management will contract the work to a third party in April with the goal of completing renovations by August. The labs are home to neuroscience and biology research of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students.
Multipurpose labs 2334 A, C, D, E and 2337A will receive new lab benches, epoxy lab bench tops and minor alterations of mechanical and electrical to support renovation, said Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Steve Lawrence.
The change comes as the result of new faculty Ute Hochgeschwender, Kenneth Jenrow, Kevin Park and Yannick Marchalan being added to the neuroscience program last year. The renovations are also a response to the demand for better use of space within the multidisciplinary labs, which are used by College of Medicine, College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences and interdisciplinary faculty.
Faculty members share lab space. The ideal workspace is 400 square feet. Renovations will rearrange the lab area to better accommodate the work of researchers.
Modifications include new paint and modified plumbing in 2334A and 2337A to accommodate the changes and the addition of new carpeting.
Several existing cabinets and cupboards will also be removed and replaced by storage.
The electrical setup will be reworked and several fixtures, including the fire alarm strobe, will be moved. Under-cabinet lighting and lab lighting will also be changed and an emergency shower will be added.
Neuroscience faculty Julien Rossignol shares lab space with program Director Gary Dunbar.
"There will be a better separation of equipment," Rossignol said.
Rossignol, while an advocate of sharing lab space, welcomes the reconfiguration, which will mark the first major renovation to these labs.
"We're excited about the new hires, and this will decrease the current pressure for space in the labs," Dunbar said.
