Highlights

Banner Health's research operation spent $80.5 million in 2025 running 1,300 clinical and translational studies, according to the organization's annual Milestones in Research report released May 26. The enterprise spans neuroscience, cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics across Banner's 33 hospitals, with federal dollars and institutional partnerships positioning Arizona as a destination for trials that won't reach most American patients for years.

The headline clinical achievement: Banner researchers pioneered the first FDA-approved device for severe mitral annular calcification, a heart valve condition the report says affects up to 30% of elderly Americans and previously required open-heart surgery. The device approval represents the kind of first-mover outcome that draws trial sponsors and research talent to a health system.

On the neuroscience side, Banner launched a $74.5 million NIH-funded study in Colombia to test whether combination medications can prevent Alzheimer's disease in people at exceptionally high genetic risk. A separate $21.6 million NIH-funded study is exploring how high blood pressure contributes to brain disease and dementia risk. Banner's researchers are also co-leading a $15.3 million NIH study to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy in living patients for the first time using blood biomarkers and brain imaging.

In oncology, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers are leading an Arizona arm of a global trial testing targeted therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Nature Medicine named that trial one of its 11 clinical trials that will shape medicine in 2026. Separately, Banner and University of Arizona researchers developed what the report describes as the first reliable early detection method for ovarian cancer, with survival rates jumping from 32% to 92% with early detection.

The NIH All of Us Research Program enrollment figure stands out for scale: Banner enrolled more participants than any site nationally since the program's inception, with 89,000-plus from Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming, including nearly 70% of all pediatric participants nationwide. That enrollment depth is driven by Banner's academic partnership with the University of Arizona, which the report calls the academic backbone of Banner's integrated health system.

In 2025, Banner researchers co-authored 315 scientific publications, conducted 158,470 biomarker tests for collaborators worldwide, and shared 16,389 brain tissue samples with scientific groups in 10 countries.

Chief Research Officer Corey Casper, MD, MPH, said the enterprise is designed to move treatments from laboratory to bedside faster than the standard regulatory timeline allows, giving Arizona families access to therapies often years before they become widely available.

The $80.5 million research budget feeds into Banner's reported $1.1 billion annual community benefit. The enterprise supports 371 high-skilled jobs and, according to the report, attracts tens of millions in federal research dollars to Arizona annually. Banner trains more than 1,300 medical residents and fellows each year through its University of Arizona partnership.

Who is leading Banner's research operation?

Corey Casper, MD, MPH, serves as Banner's chief research officer. Banner Research encompasses Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center research operations, and clinical research programs across Banner Health's 33 hospitals, supported by 371 team members.

The full Milestones in Research report is available at bannerhealth.com.

Sources

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  1. phoenixchamber.com retrieved 09/06/2026 22:36

Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 09/06/2026 22:36. Every claim traces to a source.