Changes in sponsored research funding have affected the allocation of fixed resources, including space and costs, at many medical schools. To consolidate research programs and foster collaboration among researchers, the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute was relocated from a building 10 minutes from campus into an existing medical research building in 2015. The ground floor of the Del Monte Neuromedicine Institute building was fully renovated to provide 21,000 sf of new faculty offices and wet bench lab space for the CVRI lab on campus, including tissue culture, microscope, and environmental cold rooms. Although it was originally designed for research labs, the floor was previously occupied by administrative offices which were relocated into other office areas.

Mechanical, plumbing, and electrical services for the new lab floor were extended from existing, occupied areas of the building with no disruption to the research floors above and the vivarium below. Recent code changes, technology upgrades, and environmental conservation concerns resulted in modifications to the existing ductwork controls in the building and implementation of occupancy sensors which turned off the lighting and reduced the air flow in the fume hoods after hours.