New Mexico State University is undertaking a major expansion of its Biomedical Research Building to strengthen its research in areas crucial to public health, New Mexico State University said in a news release. The National Institutes of Health and the State of New Mexico are supporting the project through combined funding.
The New Mexico Board of Finance and Administration approved $16.3 million in capital expenditures to double the building’s size. Voters and the NIH initially funded the project through a 2020 general obligation bond and a grant. NMSU has developed the building in phases: Phase I constructed the shell, and Phase II completed the interior, which is now fully operational. Phase III, the expansion, began in November 2025.
The project will add specialized research environments, including a vivarium, aviary and insectary, which are essential for studying infectious diseases, cancer and aging. "These types of research environments are critical for advancing scientific discovery," said Berta Zubiate, university architect at NMSU. The facility will serve researchers and students in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the chemistry and biology departments, bringing together research activities now dispersed across campus.
Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story was revised to cite the New Mexico State University news release it is based on. Learn how Brant.One reports in our editorial standards.
