Western is constructing a new building in the heart of campus to deliver faster, more cohesive solutions to health challenges across Canada and the world.
The Bioconvergence Centre, an eight-storey, 383-000-square-foot facility, will be purpose-built to explore an emerging frontier that integrates biology with medicine, engineering, computational sciences and advanced technologies, such as AI, to accelerate commercialization of real-world interventions and treatments.
Researchers across disciplines will work side by side with industry partners in integrated labs to better understand what drives disease. Together, they will be able to move faster to develop advanced biotherapeutics – tailored therapies harnessing the body’s natural ability to fight disease.
The centre will also provide a vibrant training ground for the next generation of innovators.
Plans for the building, approved by Western’s Board of Governors Sept. 24, come at a turning point for health innovation in Canada. Western President Alan Shepard said Western has the strength and momentum to help lead a national bioconvergence strategy.
“We’ve entered a new era of health care, where life-changing breakthroughs are within our grasp,” Shepard said. “Western has a long record of global impact in health research, from early contributions to insulin to advances in cancer treatment, transplant medicine and medical imaging. The Bioconvergence Centre will build on that legacy, leveraging our expertise in biotherapeutics, medical devices, biomaterials, neuroscience and regenerative medicine.”
Shepard also spoke to the value of Western’s long-standing ties to hospitals and clinicians within London’s “world-leading hub for health innovation.”
“Our connections across Southwestern Ontario give us access to diverse health systems for clinical trials and partnerships with life sciences and manufacturing companies,” he said.
Artist rendering of exterior of Western’s Bioconvergence Centre. (HOK/aTRR)
Changing how innovation happens
The Bioconvergence Centre will be located between the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and the Faculty of Science, on the site currently occupied by the Molecular Biology Laboratory, Health Sciences Addition, Kresge and Natural Sciences Centre buildings.
Construction is expected to start in 2027, with the building set to open in 2031.
Upon completion, Western will join a handful of globally recognized institutes in the bioconvergence field – Harvard, MIT, Stanford and UC Berkeley. Western’s will be the first centre in Canada built specifically for bioconvergence.
Its focus will be turning research into real-world patient care through biotherapeutics, precision medicine, medical devices and wearable devices, using tools and systems including data science and AI, molecular technologies and clinical trials.
The building’s design – with interdisciplinarity embedded in its very structure, bringing researchers from diverse fields together to solve challenges – was created to drive creative answers and advancements to critical health questions.
The centre’s model will help remove barriers standing in the way of innovative ideas.
“Canadians are facing increasingly complex challenges, including higher rates of cancer, neurodegenerative disease and chronic illness, compounded by an aging population. At the same time, scientific breakthroughs are accelerating,” said Florentine Strzelczyk, Western’s provost and vice-president (academic). “The problem is not a lack of talent, but the gap between discoveries and reaching the market and patients. Western’s Bioconvergence Centre is designed to close that gap.”
Artist rendering of interior of Western’s Bioconvergence Centre. (HOK/aTRR)
A look inside
Key features of Western’s Bioconvergence Centre include:
Advanced labs: Adjacent wet (biological sciences) and dry labs (computational analysis, AI and simulations) to foster discoveries that help researchers better understand disease pathology and drive new treatments.
“Super core” facilities: Offering a full spectrum of advanced equipment, managed by on-site technicians and shared across faculties and with hospital and industry partners, increasing effectiveness and efficiency.
Researchers driving discoveries: The centre will be home to 74 leading principal investigators and more than 570 researchers – including postdoctoral scholars and graduate trainees. It will also serve hundreds of visiting scholars and industry partners, strengthening Western’s competitiveness nationally and globally.
Accelerating commercialization
The new space will enhance and deepen Western’s existing interdisciplinary strengths by intentionally bringing principal investigators together with industry partners to accelerate commercialization.
That collaboration is key to the vision of the Bioconvergence Centre, said Penny Pexman, Western’s vice-president (research).
“By bringing people together to identify problems earlier, we can test assumptions faster,” Pexman said. “Validating ideas and evaluating their readiness for wider use will be built into daily research, with industry partners engaged right from the start to share insights on market needs and regulatory pathways. That translates into strong economic development for our region and better health for Canadians.”
Preparing the next generation of innovators
Western’s Bioconvergence Centre will also transform the future of biomedical education.
Students from Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, engineering, science and health sciences will benefit from a rich learning environment, using the same tools as researchers and clinicians and gaining experience working in a collaborative environment.
Clinical skills and simulation spaces will help prepare graduates to innovate, collaborate and lead in modern health systems. The building also features updated chemistry teaching and instructional facilities.
Collaboration embedded in centre design
The building is designed by HOK, a global leader in interdisciplinary design, and architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson, a local firm with extensive knowledge of Western.
In addition to wet and dry lab spaces, the design features flexible, bookable space for external partners and plenty of spaces for researchers to collaborate and innovate with industry colleagues.
“Opportunities for imagination and new discoveries are embedded right in the architecture,” said Lynn Logan, vice-president (operations and finance).
The centre will be constructed with Canadian steel and timber, retaining and incorporating portals from the former historic buildings it replaces.
As it’s built, the Bioconvergence Centre project is expected to generate an estimated 400 to 550 jobs annually across construction, engineering, manufacturing, transportation, material supply and related sectors.
Aligned with Western’s Climate and Sustainability Strategy, the building will be heated and cooled by geothermal energy systems, targeting LEED Gold certification.
“This centre will be a jewel at the core of Western’s campus – from its iconic presence and expanded core facilities to its potential to become a dynamic research hub that accelerates discovery and interdisciplinary collaboration,” Logan said.
Timeline for the new Bioconvergence Centre at Western
2026: Design development
2027: Demolition and construction begin
2031: Expected opening
Learn more about how Western is optimizing health for all.
