The James H. Clark Center (also abbreviated to the Clark Center) at Stanford University, California, United States, is a building, completed in 2003, that houses interdisciplinary research in the biological sciences.
The former Stanford computer scientist and entrepreneur James H. Clark donated $90 million of the total cost of $150 million to fund construction of the James H. Clark Center for interdisciplinary biomedical research.[1] Construction started in 2001 and was completed in the summer of 2003, as part of the Stanford University Bio-X program.[2] In September 2001, Clark rescinded $60 million of his initial 1999 pledge of $150 million to Stanford University for Bio-X, citing anger over President George W. Bush's restrictions on stem cell research.[3] The building opened on October 24, 2003.[4]
The building was designed by Foster and Partners[5] in collaboration with MBT Architecture, and was funded by donations from James H. Clark and Atlantic Philanthropies.[6]
The Clark Center is home to Stanford's Bio-X Program, which seeks to encourage researchers in the biological sciences to interact with researchers in other fields. It is a prime example of Stanford's interest in fostering a multidisciplinary approach to research.
Some of the researchers who are members of the Bio-X program include Robert Sapolsky,[7] Ami Bhatt,[8] Jonathan K. Pritchard,[9] Molly Schumer,[10] Natalia Gomez-Ospina,[11] Lynette Cegelski,[12] and Julie Baker.[13]