For patients facing serious illnesses, access to cutting-edge, innovative treatments can make all the difference. Historically, many Nevadans have looked outside the state to participate in clinical trials or benefit from the latest medical discoveries. Today, access is coming closer to home.
The historic affiliation between the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) and Renown Health formed Nevada’s first and only integrated academic health system. Together, they are strengthening the state's research capabilities by developing the infrastructure, expertise and partnerships needed to support innovative clinical research and clinical trials.
At the center of that progress is a growing network of physician-scientists, expanded research capabilities and strategic investments in infrastructure, including a new biobank in the Translational Research Center at UNR Med, which will open in September 2026.
These developments build a stronger pipeline from discovery to patient care, enabling researchers to advance new treatments and improve health outcomes across Nevada.
Building the foundation for breakthroughs
As a Carnegie® R1 research university, the University of Nevada, Reno is recognized among the nation's top research institutions, placing it in the top 3% of universities for research activity. Faculty at UNR Med advance biomedical and translational research in areas ranging from muscular dystrophy and infectious diseases to cardiac arrhythmias, cancer and women's health.
"We now have a number of research projects that incorporate pivotal collaborations between clinicians and researchers," said Lucia Notterpek, Ph.D., senior associate dean of research at UNR Med. "Research is a team sport, and we all bring unique expertise to the problems we study."
Clinician investigators play a critical role in research advances, identify important clinical questions, participate in clinical trials and translate discoveries into patient care. For physicians like Eric Kim, M.D., associate dean of clinical research at UNR Med and chief of urology at Renown Health, investments in research infrastructure, core services and seed grant mechanisms make Northern Nevada an increasingly attractive place to combine clinical practice with research.
"Building research infrastructure represents a core investment by UNR Med and Renown, paving the way for recruitment of clinician researchers who will perform clinical trials, partner with colleagues and compete for external funding opportunities," Kim said.
Clinical trial expansion close to home
As research infrastructure expands, so do opportunities for clinical trials.
For patients, that means greater access to promising therapies without having to leave the region. For physicians and scientists, it creates new opportunities to study diseases that affect Nevada communities and connect patients with emerging treatments.
Reflecting this commitment to research excellence, Renown Health has earned accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), a distinction held by only 63 institutions nationwide. The accreditation recognizes Renown's commitment to the highest standards of research quality, ethical oversight and participant safety.
Kim believes the affiliation has played a key role in creating the environment needed to grow clinical research.
"Clinical research has benefited significantly from the affiliation of Nevada’s oldest public medical school and the regional healthcare system," he said. "UNR Med brings important scientific expertise with laboratory infrastructure, which substantially broadens the type of clinical research that can be performed."
The partnership has also helped establish clinical research as a core component of care delivery, accelerating growth across the program. Since 2021, Renown's clinical trial portfolio has expanded from approximately 35 to more than 140 active trials, while the research team has grown from five staff members to 35. Today, more than 50 investigators support clinical research efforts across a wide range of specialties, including cancer and lung care, strengthening the region's research ecosystem and connecting more patients with clinical trial opportunities.
“At its heart, this affiliation is about patients,” Kristen Gurnea, MPH, said.
As the program has grown, so has its impact. Clinical trials conducted at Renown have supported advances in treatment, diagnostics and patient care, including a newly approved therapy for pulmonary fibrosis, enhanced lung biopsy technology and innovative approaches that reduce the burden of care for patients. Renown researchers have also earned national recognition as the highest-enrolling site for two national prostate cancer studies.
“One of the greatest benefits of clinical research is that patients are supported by an entire team focused on their care, safety and well-being," Kristen Gurnea, MPH, director of clinical research at Renown Health, said. "Through our affiliation, we've expanded access to clinical trials so more patients can benefit from innovative treatment options and the additional support that comes with participating in research, all while staying close to home.”
A new biobank, a new era
One of the most significant investments in Nevada's research future will open this September with the launch of the new biobank in the Translational Research Center at UNR Med.
A biobank is a secure repository that stores biological samples, such as blood, urine and tissue, along with associated health information for use in research.
While the concept may sound technical, biobanks at major research universities across the country have become powerful engines for discovery, providing researchers with the data and biological samples needed to accelerate discoveries across a wide range of fields, from genetics and cancer research to infectious diseases.
"The new biobank provides our researchers with on-site access to a wide variety of biological samples," said Samantha Sipusic, CCRP, coordinator of translational research at UNR Med. "With the biobank coming to campus, we will have expanded research infrastructure that can assist principal investigators in developing new treatments, biomarkers and medications.”
Supporting breakthroughs in cancer research
The affiliation between UNR Med and Renown has already expanded research in areas of critical importance to Nevada.
Through seed grant funding, UNR Med and the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute (PCI) support investigator-driven research, enabling biomedical and clinical faculty to pilot original research. In 2026, PCI awarded more than $667,000 through its PCI Research Awards program to support six promising cancer research projects spanning cancer biology, virus-associated cancers, glioblastoma, rectal cancer and patient wellness.
Together, these projects will generate new knowledge, strengthen future grant competitiveness and advance PCI's mission to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes for patients across Nevada.
Additional seed grant funding through the M.D.-Ph.D. collaboration pilot award is designed to support clinicians and biomedical researchers at UNR Med and Renown Health. By pairing M.D. and Ph.D. investigators, the program helps translate discoveries directly to the bedside. Collaborative projects range from cancer and infectious disease research to studies of neurological, gastrointestinal and urological disorders, generating the preliminary data needed to compete for larger federal and foundation grants while advancing innovative approaches to patient care.
Turning discoveries into better care
Researchers are also pursuing discoveries that could benefit patients with rare diseases. For example, UNR Med is an international leader in muscular dystrophy research, specifically the facioscapulohumeral and Duchenne variants.
Heather Burkin, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and one of this year’s inaugural recipients of the President’s Award for Research, Innovation and Scholarly Impact, is among the researchers benefiting from the growing partnership. For Burkin, access to human tissue samples is critical because laboratory models can only go so far.
Although her research on preterm labor has benefited from cell culture and animal studies, she notes that those findings must ultimately be confirmed in human tissues.
"The affiliation has allowed more opportunities for communication between Renown physicians and UNR Med scientists," Burkin said. "I believe developing these collaborations will yield more clinically relevant discoveries."
Collaboration is a central goal of the affiliation, creating an ecosystem in which physicians identify pressing clinical challenges, researchers investigate solutions and patients gain access to innovations that can improve outcomes.
As Nevada continues to invest in research and the biomedical workforce, the affiliation between UNR Med and Renown shapes the future of healthcare.
For Northern Nevada residents, the result is more than scientific progress. It means greater access to cutting-edge care, expanded clinical trial opportunities and the promise that the next breakthrough may happen right here in the local community.
