UMMC receives $2.4 million federal grant to modernize cancer research facilities
The University of Mississippi Medical Center has been awarded a $2.4 million federal grant to renovate and modernize its cancer research facilities, UMMC announced. The funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The grant is a key step toward UMMC’s goal of obtaining National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. Mississippi, along with Louisiana and Arkansas, currently lacks an NCI-designated cancer center, prompting many patients to travel out of state for advanced care.
Support for the funding came from U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Rep. Michael Guest, both Republicans serving on their chambers’ appropriations committees. Guest said UMMC has been a leader in medicine since hosting the first heart transplant in 1964 and is now taking a critical step toward NCI recognition.
Funding will be used to upgrade 14,000 square feet of research space, which has not seen significant improvements in nearly 30 years. The renov…