Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute with sunbursts

Our Irvine Location

The Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute moved into our new flagship location on the UCI campus on October 17, 2022. Based at the corner of Michael Drake Drive and California Avenue, our institute is the gateway to the College of Health Sciences. In our new Irvine location, we usher in a new chapter for the Samueli Institute’s mission to transform healthcare through the practice of integrative health to discover, teach, heal and serve. Learn more about our Irvine location here.

Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute - Irvine location

Embedded within the new Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences’ 110,000-square-foot complex, on the corner of California Avenue and Michael Drake Drive, SSIHI offers spaces for innovative student instruction; multidisciplinary, collaborative research; engaging community education; and team-based, whole-person clinical care.

Patients will also be offered nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and group medical classes. Local community members will be able to attend Tai Chi and nutritional cooking classes, as well as educational lectures and events.

ssihi lobby

Overall Space

From the beginning, the landscaping and plant designs were selected with wellness in mind. The design team wanted to ensure that both the indoor and outdoor spaces promote wellness, taking into account soothing color schemes and tones, oxygen production through the living plant walls, and natural textures. The space includes:

  • An outdoor wooden deck on the first floor features a noise-blocking wall that will be used for Tai Chi sessions and other activities.
  • The first floor will primarily be used for group patient visits, community classes and programs.
  • The second-floor patient waiting rooms feature accordion doors that open to an outdoor terrace, which allows for patients to sit inside or outside.
  • The clinic space features two living plant walls (“living walls”) that have a built-in self-irrigation system.

Clinic Space

The clinic space includes:

  • exam rooms
  • treatment rooms
  • procedure rooms
  • consult rooms
  • pharmacy and compounding room
  • lab
  • infusion suite
  • cardiac rehab space
SSIHI clinic interior
SSIHI Mussallem Nutritional Education Center interior

Mussallem Nutritional Education Center

The Samueli Institute’s executive chef conducts patient education and cooking classes in the nutritional education center. This space is also available for student and faculty/staff workshops as well as interprofessional education and community offerings. 

  • The hoods over each cook station are unique because they provide an unobstructed view from the participants to the instructor.
  • Each cooking station has its own audio-visual display so participants can see up close and in detail what the instructor is cooking or preparing. This enhances the learning experience.
  • The space has broadcasting capabilities to engage with participants who are unable to attend in person. This will broaden our ability to reach and serve people locally, nationally and even internationally.

Cardiac Rehab

  • The cardiac rehab room has exercise equipment for patients.
  • It also has a dedicated patient education classroom for patients to learn tangible ways to improve their cardiac and overall health.
SSIHI interior

Activity Rooms

  • Two activity rooms have the ability to transform into one larger activity room.
  • Both of these spaces have floor-to-ceiling windows. Both rooms are equipped with display monitors and the ability to host hybrid classes both in-person and virtually.
  • These rooms will be used for Tai Chi, mindfulness and other activities.

Palmer Family Research and Conference Room

  • This showcase conference room features two large displays and a private terrace.
  • This space hosts research lectures, featured events and conferences.
  • It has the ability to host events both in person and virtual
IV Room

Infusion Suite

The suite has five patient chairs, each equipped with entertainment technology to provide patients with a comfortable experience.


This isn’t an alternative to health. This is what health should be. (This institute) is the actual and symbolic entry point to the most ambitious and far-reaching innovations and health education research and delivery in our entire nation.

UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman in the Orange County Register

Media coverage for Irvine location