State officials held a ribbon cutting Thursday at the Oklahoma Pandemic Center for Innovation and Excellence in Stillwater.
The center was announced in October, and its more rural location was always the plan. State Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur said human and animal health are closely related because of diseases that jump from animals to humans or that affect food supplies.
"By leveraging our state’s expertise and global relationships in animal and agricultural science, we can greatly improve our ability to respond to new diseases and public health threats as they arise," Arthur said.
Gov. Kevin Stitt believes the pandemic center will draw top researchers and make Oklahoma more competitive for grants.