World-class research, close to home

Atlanta’s reputation as a public health capital is based largely on DeKalb County’s status as a renowned hub of life science research.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), headquartered in DeKalb, is regarded as one of the world’s foremost public health organizations. CDC prevents, controls and safeguards against health threats of all kinds. More than 6,500 people work at CDC’s two DeKalb campuses and other satellite locations.

Emory University has gained international acclaim for both academic excellence and scientific research. Last year, the university generated more than $350 million in outside investment in sponsored research, and the university is home to a number of premier centers of life science research. With nearly 22,000 employees, Emory is metro Atlanta’s leading private employer.

The Yerkes National Primate Research Center, also based in DeKalb, is one of just eight national primate research centers funded by the National Institutes of Health. Yerkes’ research involving non-human primates provides a critical link between small-animal studies and human clinical trials. The center houses nearly 3,400 non-human primates and more than 5,000 laboratory rodents.

A number of other enterprises and individuals distinguish DeKalb County as a research hub:

• EmTech Bio represents one of the nation’s most productive and promising university collaborations. The Emory-Georgia Tech research campus at Briarcliff Road in DeKalb offers lab space and scientific equipment to start-up and early-stage bioscience companies.

• The Emory Vaccine Center has developed one of the world’s most promising vaccines for HIV/AIDS. The vaccine is now rapidly advancing in human clinical trials.

• Seven Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars are based at Emory, including Dr. Rafi Ahmed, one of the world’s leading researchers on Alzheimer’s Disease.

• The Task Force for Child Survival and Development forges partnerships to address major health problems in the U.S. and abroad. The Task Force works with an array of leaders and organizations to advance public health.

• The Global Health Institute, headed by former CDC director Jeffrey Koplan, develops research, training and programs to address the most pressing health challenges around the world, particularly in developing countries.

• Winship Cancer Institute is on track to become Georgia’s first “Comprehensive Cancer Center” as designated by the National Cancer Institute. The designation would bring tens of millions of dollars in federal research funding as well as strengthen cancer treatment options through clinical trials.

• Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has one of the nation’s largest Ph. D. programs in Pharmacy. And the College’s Center for Drug Delivery Research provides graduate students opportunities to conduct research in vaccine delivery, nanotechnology and transdermal delivery. 

This level of scientific discovery is paying off for DeKalb’s research enterprises – sometimes in a big way. For example, Emory University scientists invented what is now the world’s most prescribed treatment for AIDS. That effort alone brought the university a half-billion dollars in revenue.

If you’re here in DeKalb, you’re in close proximity to some of the world’s most exciting research.