SAN ANTONIO – Texas A&M-San Antonio (TAMUSA) has marked another step in the university’s commitment to addressing public health access and research.
The university and several partners, including Congressman Tony Gonzales, celebrated the official opening of the Public Health Genetics and Genomics Laboratory earlier this week.
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Currently, the lab is housed at the San Antonio Technology Center but will soon call the forthcoming Public Health and Education Building home, a university news release said.
Earlier this month, the Texas A&M System Board of Regents approved $55 million for the facility. Construction is slated to begin in March, with substantial completion scheduled for January 2026.
“This facility will enable researchers to change the lives of Texans and identify those who are pre-disposed to certain diseases,” Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said. “They’re helping make San Antonio the regional leader in genomic research.”
The venture brings together a dignified, collaborative approach to addressing public health issues facing South Texas. A partnership with University Health aims to come with the addition of the Palo Alto Hospital next to the campus.
Gonzales helped to secure $2 million in funding for the laboratory through the Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Researchers will have equipment available that is geared toward understanding the genetic factors that cause diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
“This research center will address society’s most complex health challenges and help improve the quality of life for Texans,” Texas A&M-San Antonio President Salvador Hector Ochoa said.
A team of experts helmed by Dr. Vijay Golla, vice provost for research and health sciences, will lead research initiatives at the laboratory. An initial study plans to address genetic predispositions and environmental factors affecting disease susceptibility in Mexican American families, the news release said.