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The future of health-care education at the UW Health Sciences Education Building

Training the next generation of leaders in dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work

The University of Washington is creating new possibilities in health care and population health — here and around the world — thanks to investment from the Washington State Legislature and generous donors. 

With the opening of the new Health Sciences Education Building on the UW campus in Seattle in September 2022, students in the UW’s health sciences schools — dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work — will now share a technologically sophisticated building, with spaces and resources that will promote active learning, interdisciplinary education and collaboration. This new approach will benefit the health of individuals — and entire populations.

To learn more about the future of health-care education, please contact [email protected].

Building highlights

  • Nearly 100,000 square feet
  • A reimagined anatomy lab
  • Fifteen classrooms with interactive technology
  • A clinical skills lab suite
  • Li Lu Library
  • Gaylene Bouska Altman and Leonard Charles Altman Student Lounge
  • Multiple meeting and study spaces
  • Private wellness rooms

Gaylene Bouska Altman and Leonard Charles Altman Student Lounge

students conversing in the Altman Student Lounge

Curious and dedicated to their fields, UW health sciences students often spend long hours in their classes, labs and the library. We created this lounge to ensure that these students also have a place to relax and spend casual time with their peers — both to support students’ well-being and to foster cross-school camaraderie. We’re grateful to receive support for this lounge from student mentors Gaylene Altman, a UW faculty member and clinical educator at the School of Nursing, and Leonard Altman, a clinical professor of medicine in the UW Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.



Li Lu Library

Libraries provide vital spaces for students to study, focus and conduct deep research. The new health sciences library does something more, providing opportunities for collaborative education and teamwork in the health sciences. With the philanthropic investment of Li Lu, the founder and chairman of Himalaya Capital, and with the expert administration of UW Libraries, we founded a library that not only promotes individual work but also fosters small-group work, discussion and interaction.

students passing through Li Lu Library

The anatomy lab, reimagined

anatomy lab with skeleton in foreground

Familiarity with the anatomy and physiology of the human body is key to medical disciplines. So the traditional anatomy lab — where students explore human cadavers — is central to the educational experience. In the new health sciences building, we are augmenting this facet of students’ education with the purchase of high-tech Anatomage tables. These tables, which provide brilliantly clear and detailed 3D digital renderings of the body (including approximately 1,000 pathological samples), will give students broader exposure to the presentation of illness while allowing them to perform digital dissections.

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EXPLORE THE NEW HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATION BUILDING

Now completed, this state-of-the-art facility allows the UW to transform the future of health care.

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SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Learn more about opportunities to support this once-in-a-lifetime project.

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THE NEED FOR NEW FACILITIES

The UW’s current health sciences facilities are outdated, ill-equipped for the new reality created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and unable to accommodate modern technology and teaching methods.

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UW Philanthropy

A GROUNDBREAKING BUILDING PROJECT

Expected to open in May 2022, this state-of-the-art new building will enable the UW to transform the future of health care.

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NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Explore opportunities to support this once-in-a-lifetime project.

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When health sciences students learn together, they discover the benefits of working together. The new Health Sciences Education Building will prepare our students to collaborate across multiple levels as professionals. From taking care of individual patients to taking on pandemics, UW students will set the stage for the future of human health care: integrated, holistic and effective.

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80% of patient safety issues
are related to miscommunication between health-care providers. Training students together will help improve patient safety.
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34% of our curriculum
in health sciences already overlaps across the schools. The new building & shared learning will make training more efficient and impactful for students.
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17% increased enrollment
in UW health sciences is anticipated in the next five years to meet patient and health-care needs. The new facility will add 100,000 sq. ft. of classroom & lab space to accommodate the growth.