Carilion Biomedical Institute

The Carilion Biomedical Institute (CBI) was a non-profit organization established as a joint venture between Carilion Health System, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia. Founded in 1999, its primary mission was to foster collaborative research and development in the biomedical sciences and to promote economic development in Western Virginia. CBI provided seed funding and resources for early-stage biomedical technologies, particularly in medical imaging, bioinformatics, and biotechnology. The institute served as a critical precursor to the formal partnership between Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic, which eventually led to the creation of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. By bridging the gap between academic research and clinical application, CBI laid the groundwork for the current life sciences ecosystem in the Roanoke region.