neuroscience
New Home for Neuroscience
Going beyond just patient-centered, the new UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute building is sensitive to the needs of those who need it the most
ransformative, comforting and
patient-sensitive.
When it opens in April, the UC
Gardner Neuroscience Institute will
serve as a much-needed central hub of neurological care, expertise and research for the
region, and all under the same roof.
But it’s bigger than that.
It’s more personal than that. For Dr. Joseph Broderick, a new home for neuroscience at UC Health represents hope. Hope for patients to come and a commitment to people neurological diseases have claimed. A year ago, Broderick, director of the institute, signed the final steel beam of the building. Before it was raised into place, he wrote, “For Phyllis,” his mother-in-law, who died of Alzheimer’s.
When the doors open, patients will find that the $68 million facility — a 114,000 square foot addition at the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Eden Avenue — is one that’s been designed and customized specifically with them in mind.
Before a single shovel of dirt was turned, planners turned to patients and others to ask hard questions: What type of facility will best serve people who are recovering from a stroke, a traumatic brain injury or fighting a brain tumor? How can design meet the needs of those managing life with Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease or other neurological diseases?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque nec mollis odio, eget facilisis enim.
From the small touches to the big ones, their answers were incorporated into the facility in the form of glass, concrete and steel. To truly build a home for all of neurological outpatient care, Broderick and others wanted to ensure it was a place of belonging, of comfort for patients and their caregivers. “We’ve relied heavily on our patients to assist in the design of this building,” says Broderick. “It is for them and truly is created by them.”
UC Health hired global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will to oversee the planning and design of the facility. They sought input from doctors, staff and students, and worked with an advisory committee made up of current patients and caregivers, to address every step in the patient’s journey — from the parking garage to the exam room.
“The patient advisory group was really informative for us,” says Clark Miller, managing principal of Perkins+Will. “For instance, we heard them describe the challenges of navigating sloped, tight parking garages, so we designed a flat-leveled garage with entrances and exits from the elevators right to the patient floors, and adjusted the distance between parking spaces to accommodate wheelchairs, as well as stretchers.”
Throughout the two-year design/build process, plywood models were built, mock patient rooms were staged, textiles samples and finishes passed around, all based on feedback from the patient advisory group, and reviewed by clinicians and staff
Related Stories
Three years, countless stories
May 15, 2026
UC's Klekamp Law celebrates its 193rd Hooding with stories from graduates reflecting on their paths through the college.
A jolly good trip: Bearcats take on London for fragrance company
May 15, 2026
Six NEXT Innovation Scholars at the University of Cincinnati traveled to London to transform field research into actionable recommendations for British luxury bath, body and fragrance brand Molton Brown.
Driven by curiosity, guided by care
May 14, 2026
Max Wilson, a University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences health sciences major on the pre-physician assistant track, found his path expanding beyond the classroom and into hands-on research focused on human performance and patient care.
New cohort of nursing students get ready to join co-ops
May 14, 2026
A new chapter is beginning for more than 100 University of Cincinnati College of Nursing rising seniors as they embark on one of the most distinctive experiences in undergraduate nursing education: the UC Nursing Co-op Program. The incoming cohort will fan out across Cincinnati's premier healthcare institutions, stepping into some of the most dynamic and specialized clinical environments in the region. Placement sites include UC Medical Center (UCMC), West Chester Hospital, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) Burnet, College Hill, and Liberty campus.
UC Blue Ash celebrates top students and recognizes Honor Student of the Year
May 14, 2026
The University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College recently hosted a special event that celebrated students for exceptional achievements during the 2025-26 academic year. The honorees included academic award winners, student engagement award winners, Latin Honors graduates, and the 2026 UC Blue Ash College Honor Student of the Year.
Computer science student's color blindness inspires outfit matching app
May 14, 2026
Eric Langhorne, a computer science undergraduate student at the University of Cincinnati, has developed a smartphone application that tells users whether or not their clothes are a match. Langhorne has color blindness, so this is a question he often asks himself and was a challenge he wanted to address. This project was done through the Experiential Explorations Program (EEP).