No one doubts that last spring’s announcement by Yale New Haven Health of plans to develop an $838 million neurosciences facility on its St. Raphael campus is a game-changer — the Elm City’s largest economic-development project in years. But is it merely the next major development step by the city’s largest employer and state’s largest […]
No one doubts that last spring’s announcement by Yale New Haven Health of plans to develop an $838 million neurosciences facility on its St. Raphael campus is a game-changer — the Elm City’s largest economic-development project in years.
But is it merely the next major development step by the city’s largest employer and state’s largest health system, or a true game-changer for an entire industry whose evolution has profound implications for Connecticut and beyond?
The 505,000-square-foot facility would house 204 beds and facilities for research and treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and strokes.
But neuroscience research and clinical practice represent much more than new construction and new patient beds — it may be at the center of an economic development strategy for the city and region for years to come. And its growth is not a function solely of what takes place at Yale New Haven and its namesake university.
At the beginning of this year the city hired a consultant, Kevin Hively of Ninigret Partners of Providence, R.I., to offer an overview of the industry and its potential for New Haven and the region. In early February Hively reported his findings at a meeting of the city’s Development Commission at City Hall.
New Haven’s current participation in the neuroscience industry lies in three principal areas, Hively said — clinical enterprise, biopharmaceutical development and research. Much of the latter is conducted today at Yale, which is already a major industry player: In 2018, “prime awards” to Yale from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) exceeded the totals of 37 states. From 2016 to 2018, those awards totaled in excess of $405 million, making Yale the seventh-largest recipient nationwide. NIH investment here, Hively added, is expected to double by 2030.
Moreover, neuroscience already accounts for a larger share of NIH spending than cancer research — 26 percent of total spending in 2018.
In key sub-fields of neuroscience research, Yale is also a major player. It topped the list of NIH mental-health grants in 2018, Hively noted, with more that $80 million. It also was among the top 20 nationwide of recipients of 2018 NIH grants for studying degenerative diseases, totaling about $36.5 million.
“The [bioscience research] talent we have in New Haven is changing health outcomes all over the world,” said city Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli. “The combination of strong patient care and research can be a real opportunity for us.”
