Houston Methodist Academic Institute (formerly the Houston Methodist Research Institute) was formed in 2004 to rapidly and efficiently translate discoveries made in the laboratory and the clinic into new diagnostics, therapies, and treatments. The research institute was created to provide the infrastructure and support for these endeavors, and to house the technology and resources needed to make innovative breakthroughs in important areas of human disease. A 540,000 square foot building dedicated to research and clinical trials, the academic institute houses over 2,047 credentialed researchers conducting 1,470 ongoing clinical protocols.