Construction of several projects is currently underway at the University of Virginia’s Fontaine Research Park including the 350,000 square foot Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology.
This morning, UVA Health announced that the first director will be Mark T. Esser, a specialist in the development of new medical treatments. He is currently vice president for vaccines and immune therapies at the firm AstraZeneca.
“The Manning Institute represents an unprecedented opportunity both for me, personally, and for the entire field of healthcare,” Esser is quoted in an information release sent out at 9:31 a.m.
The total investment in the new institute is $350 million with $100 million of that coming from Paul and Diane Manning. The Commonwealth of Virginia has contributed $100 million and UVA has put in $150 million. Paul Manning was appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2023 by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Esser earned his PhD in microbiology from the University of Virginia in 1998. At AstraZeneca he has also worked as senior director of clinical immunology, microbiology, and diagnostics for infection and cancer vaccines.
“Mark Esser is the complete package,” the release quotes Manning. “A smart, savvy and experienced leader with broad knowledge and a proven track record of success.”
Ground was broken on the institute in December 2023 and the building is expected to be occupied by the end of 2026.
Before you go: This story originally went out in the April 10, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Why did it take seven days to post here? Good question. Right now stories can be produced either here first or in the Substack newsletter first. Mostly this is the newsletter. Some weeks are more intense than others, and a decision was made to focus on Substack first. One consideration for the future is to have one content management system for both. This is currently in the imaginary phase, but Town Crier Productions eventually graduated to whatever you say here.
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