The University of Kentucky has announced plans to build a research facility dedicated to addressing health problems that disproportionately affect the state.

The $265 million building on the Lexington campus will house researchers who will focus on disparities in Kentucky in the incidence of health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, drug abuse.

"This research facility mirrors the state’s kyhealthnow initiative that aims to significantly reduce incidence and deaths from diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease and to improve the state’s collective health,” says Gov. Steve Beshear.

The building will provide space to conduct multidisciplinary research across numerous fields—health care researchers, public health, behavioral sciences, agriculture outreach and extension, economics and engineering. The new facility will be linked to other major research space: the Bio-Pharmacy Building and the Biological Biomedical Research Building.

Construction on the 300,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin in February, and would be completed in spring 2018. The state is providing half of the funding; the other half will come from university resources, including private gifts.