Gov. Rick Snyder will discuss the interplay between biomedical research and the state’s economy at a symposium Friday at the University of Michigan, where annual research spending hit nearly $1.25 billion last academic year.

The 10 a.m. keynote address, “Medical Research and Michigan’s Future,” at the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, is part of an annual symposium aimed at highlighting recent accomplishments of university research scientists.

The event, from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, is open to the public, though participants are encouraged to register online at http://2011taubmansymposium.eventbrite.com.

In 2007, Taubman's $22 million gift to the University of Michigan Health System created the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.

In April, the billionaire mall mogul donated $56 million to the Taubman Institute, injecting funds into areas of science including embryonic stem cell research.

Doctors speaking at the symposium Friday are Taubman scholars, working physicians whose scientific research pursuits are funded with the billionaire’s donations.

They’ll speak about their research, on topics such as how to make traditional chemotherapy more effective in treating liver and pancreatic cancer, before and after Snyder’s address.

In honor of the April donation and Taubman’s overall donations to U-M of $142 million, U-M named its Biomedical Science Research Building in his honor. Following the symposium Friday, Taubman, President Mary Sue Coleman and University of Michigan Health System CEO Ora Hirsch Pescovitz will attend a sign dedication ceremony at the building.

The event will be broadcast live via the web at www.taubmaninstitute.org

Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter