Gilead Sciences Opens New Research Center in Foster City to Accelerate Biomedical Innovation
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) has officially opened a new 182,000-square-foot Research Center at its headquarters in Foster City, California, marking a significant expansion of the company’s research and development capabilities in the United States. The facility is designed to strengthen Gilead’s scientific programs across oncology, inflammation and research data science, supporting the company’s efforts to discover and develop new medicines for some of the world’s most challenging diseases.
The opening represents another major milestone in Gilead’s long-term investment in American scientific innovation and adds substantial research capacity to its longstanding operations in California. The company currently employs approximately 11,000 people across the United States, with more than 7,400 employees in California and nearly 4,700 employees in the Bay Area.
Gilead marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by company executives, researchers, government representatives and community leaders. Among the guests were U.S. Representative Kevin Mullin, representing California’s 15th Congressional District, and California State Assemblymember Diane Papan.
The new Research Center is intended to bring together scientists from multiple disciplines and provide them with advanced facilities and technologies needed to accelerate the discovery of potential new therapies. By expanding research infrastructure at its Foster City headquarters, Gilead aims to create an environment where scientific teams can work more closely together and respond more rapidly to emerging opportunities in biomedical research.
Expanding Gilead’s U.S. Research Infrastructure
Gilead Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Day described the new center as an important investment at a time when scientific and technological advances are creating new opportunities for drug discovery.
According to O’Day, the Research Center will allow Gilead scientists to take advantage of advances in science and technology while working toward the development of innovative medicines. He also emphasized that the facility is part of the company’s broader commitment to investing in the United States.
Gilead has outlined a broader $32 billion U.S. investment program, reflecting its long-term strategy to expand research, development and manufacturing capabilities within the country. The Foster City Research Center is one of three major projects that form part of this investment and is expected to play an important role in strengthening Gilead’s scientific infrastructure through 2030.
The company is also developing a Technical Development Center, which is expected to open in 2027. In addition, Gilead broke ground in August on a new biologics facility, with an anticipated opening in 2029. Together, these projects are expected to expand the company’s ability to conduct research, develop medicines and support manufacturing activities in the United States.
The coordinated development of these facilities highlights Gilead’s strategy of creating an integrated research and development ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on laboratory research, the company is investing across different stages of the medicine development process.
Designed Around Collaboration and Scientific Flexibility
The five-story Research Center was designed with input from Gilead’s research employees. The facility will support approximately 325 employees, including around 260 laboratory scientists.
A major feature of the building is its flexible laboratory design. Instead of relying on fixed laboratory configurations, the facility includes flexible laboratory neighborhoods that can be adapted as research priorities change. This approach is intended to allow teams to modify their working environments as scientific programs evolve.
The center also contains specialized collaboration areas and shared technology platforms. These features are designed to encourage scientists from different disciplines to work together, share information and make use of common resources.
The ability to bring multiple research functions into the same location is particularly important as modern drug discovery becomes increasingly multidisciplinary. Advances in biology, computational science, data analytics and laboratory technologies are creating new opportunities for researchers to approach complex diseases from multiple directions.
Gilead Executive Vice President of Research Flavius Martin, MD, said the center was designed to combine scientific expertise with advanced technologies and collaboration. By bringing key research disciplines together and increasing the company’s data science capabilities, the facility is expected to strengthen the infrastructure supporting drug discovery and innovation.
Focus on Oncology, Inflammation and Data Science
The new Research Center will expand Gilead’s capabilities in several important areas, including oncology and inflammation research. These fields represent complex areas of medicine in which researchers continue to investigate new approaches to disease biology and treatment.
The facility will also strengthen Gilead’s research data science capabilities. Data science has become increasingly important to pharmaceutical research as companies generate and analyze large volumes of biological, clinical and research information.
Advanced data analysis can help researchers identify patterns, evaluate potential drug targets and improve understanding of disease mechanisms. Combining data science expertise with laboratory research may allow scientific teams to explore research questions more efficiently and make better-informed decisions throughout the discovery process.
By housing scientists and research capabilities within a modern, collaborative environment, Gilead intends to create a setting where traditional laboratory science and advanced computational approaches can work together.
Sustainability Incorporated Into Facility Design
Environmental considerations were also incorporated into the design of the new Research Center. The facility features all-electric systems, energy-efficient design elements and water-saving landscaping.
The landscaping includes California native plants, helping reduce water requirements while complementing the local environment. These design features are expected to support the building’s goal of achieving LEED Gold certification.
The incorporation of sustainability features reflects the company’s efforts to develop research infrastructure that combines scientific functionality with energy and resource efficiency. As large pharmaceutical research facilities can require significant energy and other resources, incorporating efficient building systems can help reduce their environmental impact.
Connecting Research Spaces
The Research Center has also been designed to improve movement between buildings and encourage interaction among research teams. A dedicated bridge connects the new facility to an adjacent building, helping streamline the movement of equipment and research materials.
The facility also includes a Research Quad, a central gathering area intended to promote collaboration and scientific exchange. Such shared spaces can provide researchers with opportunities to interact outside traditional laboratory environments, potentially encouraging cross-disciplinary discussions and new ideas.
The emphasis on connectivity is consistent with Gilead’s broader goal of creating an integrated scientific environment. By reducing physical barriers between research areas and providing dedicated collaboration spaces, the company hopes to make it easier for scientists to share expertise and work collectively on complex research challenges.
Strengthening California’s Life Sciences Sector
The opening of the Research Center also reinforces Gilead’s presence within California’s biotechnology and life sciences ecosystem. Foster City and the broader San Mateo County region are home to a significant concentration of biotechnology companies, research organizations and highly skilled scientific professionals.
Representative Kevin Mullin highlighted Gilead’s continued investment in Foster City as a positive development for California’s life sciences sector. He noted that the company’s expanded research capacity contributes to the region’s biotechnology leadership while supporting its highly skilled workforce.
California State Assemblymember Diane Papan similarly emphasized the importance of San Mateo County as a global biotechnology center. She pointed to Gilead’s continued investment in science, infrastructure and skilled employment as factors that contribute to the region’s position within the life sciences industry.
For Gilead, maintaining and expanding its presence in the Bay Area provides access to a large network of scientific talent and research expertise. The new facility further establishes Foster City as a central location for the company’s research activities.
Long-Term Commitment to U.S. Innovation
The opening of the 182,000-square-foot Research Center is an important component of Gilead’s broader U.S. investment strategy. With additional facilities planned in Foster City over the next several years, the company is building a larger infrastructure intended to support research, development and manufacturing through 2030.
The Technical Development Center planned for 2027 and the biologics facility expected in 2029 will complement the newly opened Research Center. Together, these investments are expected to expand Gilead’s capabilities across multiple stages of the pharmaceutical development process.
The company’s investment comes as pharmaceutical research increasingly depends on collaboration among scientists with expertise in biology, chemistry, medicine, data science and advanced technologies. Gilead’s new facility is structured to facilitate this type of interdisciplinary work while providing researchers with modern laboratory and collaboration resources.
Ultimately, the Foster City Research Center is intended to help Gilead accelerate the transition from scientific discovery to potential new medicines. Its focus on oncology, inflammation and data science reflects the company’s continued investment in areas where innovative research could address significant unmet medical needs.
The opening also underscores Gilead’s long-term commitment to maintaining a strong research and development presence in the United States. Through its broader $32 billion investment program and the development of additional Foster City facilities, the company is expanding the infrastructure needed to support future scientific discoveries, drug development and manufacturing.
As the new Research Center becomes fully operational, Gilead expects the facility to serve as an important hub for scientific collaboration and innovation. By bringing together hundreds of researchers, flexible laboratory environments, shared technologies and enhanced data science capabilities, the company aims to create the conditions needed to advance research and develop new therapeutic options for patients facing serious and complex diseases.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer and inflammation.
In 2025, Gilead announced a $32 billion investment to further strengthen its U.S. footprint to power the next era of discovery, job creation and public health preparedness – while continuing to invest globally to ensure patients everywhere benefit from its scientific innovation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.