SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Sanford Center is in Sioux Falls off of East 60th Street North near the I-90 and I-229 interchange. That facility alone houses about 160 researchers. Between all of the Sanford research facilities in the region, there are about 270 scientists who work there. They are doing research on a variety of topics including population health, Batten’s Disease, and Type I Diabetes.
The Sanford Center in Sioux Falls is about 300,000 square feet, which includes offices and administration. There are 33 research labs within it where scientists are studying different topics.
Dr. Jill Weimer specializes in Batten’s Disease, which is a disease that takes over a child’s nerve system slowly and eventually kills them. Dr. Weimer has a team that works inside the lab to get to know more about the disease and try to find different cures for it. She does pre-clinical work in a lab with mice.
Dr. Amy Elliott specializes in population health, which means she looks at the specific needs when it comes to health in a region. She poses the question, “What makes us unique that we struggle with?” in any given region.