Our multidisciplinary centers promote collaborative research within the College of Medicine – Tucson, the University of Arizona and beyond. Several centers also provide clinical services and education to the college community and the public.
Arizona Aids Education and Training Center
The Arizona Aids Education and Training Center improves the standard of care for people living with HIV by helping healthcare professionals to develop new knowledge and skills through educational programs, clinical training, and the distribution of news and other resources.
Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine
Founded by Andrew Weil, MD, The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine is the pioneering integrative medicine (IM) center worldwide, recognized for its innovative educational programs, evidence-based clinical practice, and research that substantiate the field of integrative medicine and influence public policy.
Our educational offerings began with the fellowship in integrative medicine in 1997. It launched with four residential fellows in Tucson. Twenty years later, the Fellowship has graduated more than 1000 clinician and delivers innovative distance/online learning, and the Center has expanded offerings that span health professionals’ careers.
Our integrative health centers are putting into practice what we teach, changing the model of primary care delivery for patients and health care professionals, and challenging the economic paradigm on cost effectiveness of IM. In research, we are building a multidisciplinary program focused on IM outcomes research, curriculum evaluation, and the study stress-response and environment in health and wellbeing.
Arizona Center on Aging
The Arizona Center on Aging is committed to addressing the health and human welfare of seniors through an integrated program of research, education and excellence in health care and service. Its mission is to:
- advance the scientific study of aging
- provide interdisciplinary education and clinical training in gerontology, geriatrics and long-term care
- provide clinical and community services to Arizona's aging population
The programs of the Center focus on the behavioral and social, biological and health sciences. The Center also conducts research into social policy and practice surrounding aging issues.
Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center
Founded in 1990, the Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center is a leader in emergency medicine training, education and research. One of only five such centers in the nation, the Center is committed to improving prehospital care and emergency services for all Arizonans.
The Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center conducts research into injury control, epidemiology, the evaluation of trauma systems, out-of-hospital cardiac recognition and treatment, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and air medical transport. The Center also offers direct training to paramedics and EMS providers.
Arizona Telemedicine Program
The Arizona Telemedicine Program improves access to health care and training throughout Arizona, using telemedicine technologies to reach to medically-underserved populations. Founded in 1995, the program initially served eight sites including rural communities and state prisons—today, the Arizona Telemedicine Program network extends to dozens of locations which provide distance education and clinical services, while also strengthening the ties between healthcare providers, the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and local and state government.
Steele Children’s Research Center
Dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of childhood disease, the Steele Children’s Research Center applies a multidisciplinary clinical and research approach. Established in 1985, the Steele Center integrates research with clinical and teaching activities.
Special emphasis is given to:
- genetic and congenital diseases
- childhood cancers
- solid-organ and bone marrow transplants
- lung diseases
- neurological disorders
- the problems of premature infants
- heart disorders
- infectious diseases
- liver and gastrointestinal disorders
- kidney diseases
- child abuse
Noted for successfully involving the community in its objectives and goals, the Center is a leader in coordinating a variety of public and private children’s and social agencies to work together to improve the welfare of all children. In addition to serving the pediatric population in Southern Arizona, faculty members serve Arizona’s rural communities by holding more than 120 clinics a year throughout the state.
the university of arizona Arthritis Center
Dedicated to eradicating arthritis as a cause of human suffering through biomedical research, education, patient care and community outreach, the University of Arizona Arthritis Center (UAAC) is a leader in the use of a multidisciplinary approach to combat arthritis and bone and connective tissue disease.
Founded in 1985 as one of the first four Centers of Excellence as deemed by the Arizona Board of Regents, the UAAC is proud to be patient-centered, grounded in science and driven by innovation. The Center faculty has trained countless medical students, residents and fellows in the care of patients with arthritis as the only rheumatology training program in the state of Arizona. The Center's community outreach and education intitiatve impacts thousands of Arizonans each year through the 'Living Healthy With Arthritis' lecture, active and conference series.
Major diseases of interested in the Center include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, osteoporosis and scleroderma. Research at the Center spans the spectrum from laboratory-based investigation designed to find cures for arthritis, to clinical studies focused on identifying the cause of arthritis, to clinical trials of innovative therapies for arthritis.
Sarver Heart Center
The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center is dedicated to the prevention and cure of heart and vascular disease through research, education and patient care.
UA Sarver Heart Center members conduct 90 percent of the heart and vascular research in Arizona, and are a major resource for cardiovascular education.
Each year, cardiovascular physicians and surgeons at the UA Sarver Heart Center perform more than 2,500 procedures. The cardiothoracic transplantation program has one of the highest survival rates in the world for heart transplants and is the first program approved by the Food and Drug Administration to implant artificial hearts as a bridge-to-transplant.
The Thomas D. Boyer Liver Institute
The Thomas D. Boyer Liver Institute was established in 2000 by its founding director and former department chair, the late Thomas D. Boyer, MD. The institute is committed to research, education, and the diagnosis and treatment of all liver diseases.
The major goals of the Institute are:
- To encourage awareness of all liver diseases and disorders.
- To provide education about viral hepatitis, and other liver diseases and disorders as well as prevention and treatment options.
- To actively continue research for all liver diseases and disorders.
- To inspire an environment of collaboration to reinforce advancement within the hepatology and healthcare community.
- To advocate for those with viral hepatitis and other liver diseases and disorders by providing optimum patient care.
The Valley Fever Center for Excellence
With two-thirds of all Valley Fever infections in the United States occurring in Arizona, The Valley Fever Center for Excellence was established in 1996 in order to address the problems that are caused by the fungus Coccidioides. The mission of the center is to develop public awareness and education about Valley Fever, promote high quality care for patients with Valley Fever, and the encouragement of research into all aspects of Coccidioides and the diseases that it causes.