NBC29Research Firm Opens In Harrisonburg

Research Firm Opens In Harrisonburg

From the silicone valley to the Shenandoah Valley, comes a renowned research firm that specializes in fighting disease.

Governor Tim Kaine helped cut the ribbon today on the nearly $20 million dollar headquarters for SRI International. 

Inside the facility near Harrisonburg, two dozen of scientists from all over the world fight tuberculosis, West Nile virus, even bioterrorism.

"Our staff here speak 15 different languages fluently, and several others not quite so fluently," said SRI Vice president Walter Moos, "In addition to all the science that they speak.” 

It’s the language of aggressive bioscience. It translates to developing vaccines, more quickly diagnosing infections, and developing new treatments. "Some of these are rare and neglected diseases," said Moos, "like tuberculosis, rare and neglected in the US. But tuberculosis affects more than a third of the world's population, two billion people." 

The Governor welcomed SRI into its new 40,000 square foot headquarters, and predicts more employers will want to be nearby. "SRI is a global brand of innovation that has touched virtually every area of life in this country, and in this world," said Kaine. "How proud we are to have them here." 

SRI had been nearby for three years, sharing laboratory and office space with James Madison university," recalls Krishna Kodukula, director of SRI's Shenandoah Valley facility. "Toward the end of our stay at JMU we ran out of space. So now this gives us a lot more space, and a lot more facilities in that regard, and also we can expand the way we would like to expand." 

That expansion will mean more jobs, eventually 100 scientists in the Rockingham county headquarters. 

SRI says the Rockingham county location puts them close to partners like JMU, UVA, and Virginia Tech, as well as key federal agencies in Washington.

Reported by Ken Slack
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