The University of Maryland BioPark announced today that it is holding a dedication ceremony tomorrow evening (May 12, 2011) at the BioPark (829 West Baltimore St, Baltimore, Maryland) to honor Ryoichi Nagata, CEO and Chairman, SNBL Group, for the corporate presence he has established in the BioPark and the City of Baltimore. A newly developed outdoor park adorned with Japanese cherry trees will be named for Dr. Nagata by University President Jay Perman. Clients, BioPark tenants and technology leaders will attend the event.

In 2005, SNBL (Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories) began its investment of $20 million in the BioPark by establishing a clinical pharmacology center to conduct Phase I clinical trials of pharmaceutical and biotechnology drugs.

“I’m proud of the wonderful relationship between SNBL Group and The University of Maryland, which Dr. Nagata has nurtured,” said James L. Hughes, President, University of Maryland BioPark, and Vice President, Office of Research and Development, University of Maryland Baltimore.

A number of active partnerships exist today between SNBL and the University. Drs. Perman and Nagata are in talks about ways the campus community and SNBL will strengthen ties. Currently, the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development and SNBL are jointly conducting a series of clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health. SNBL continues to conduct critical clinical work on behalf of leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world from its laboratories in the BioPark.