Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's new 625,000-square-foot research facility is named the Inspiration4 Advanced Research Center after Inspiration4, the first all-civilian space mission to circle Earth.
Inspiration4 has raised $240 million so far for the hospital, according to a Nov. 9 news release.
The mission was led by Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments, who has committed more than $125 million to the hospital himself.
The research center is part of St. Jude's six-year, $11.5 billion strategic plan. It can hold up to 1,000 employees and allows for collaboration among several fields. It has technology for computational biology, artificial intelligence, gene editing and analyzing cell samples. It also has a biorepository on-site for sharing tumor samples with other researchers.
"The journey to space was a huge challenge but nothing compared to what these kids go through every day," Mr. Isaacman said. "It's an honor for our mission to be linked to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and I am proud to stand with every St. Jude supporter motivated by the vision of a world where every kid can survive and thrive."