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BOLD Science // GLOBAL Impact

The Wistar Institute is embarking on an exciting journey. This journey will build on Wistar’s expansive research and accomplishments characterized by continued innovation and scientific excellence, a focus on educating and training the next generation of scientists, and multiplying scientific creativity and impact through national and international partnerships.

The 2021-2026 Strategic Plan charts an ambitious and far-reaching program of exceptional basic and translational cancer and infectious disease research and building a life science ecosystem centered on collaboration, education, and innovation.

With a comprehensive mission of scientific pursuit, Wistar is ideally positioned as a premier force worldwide for innovative, life-changing discoveries benefiting the world.

GOALS AND PRIORITIES

Science & Technology

Wistar is committed to making impactful discoveries and responding to global health challenges through cutting-edge research by establishing platforms to create molecular- and cellular-based strategies against cancer and infectious diseases.

Goals
  • Enhance our capacity for rapid response against future global health crises caused by existing and emerging infectious diseases and pathogens.

  • Halt resistance to cancer therapy by developing novel drug candidates.

  • Harness high-performance computing and artificial intelligence for accelerated discovery and personalized strategies to diagnose and treat cancer.

Education and Life Sciences

Diverse and inclusive education and training are vital to support Wistar research, garner global recognition, and open exciting opportunities for industry partnership and philanthropy.

Goals
  • Bring all the current educational programs under a single umbrella.

  • Expand the continuum of Wistar educational programs to create a diverse, inclusive life sciences talent pipeline.

  • Integrate education and training into Wistar’s mission for long-term, global impact in biomedical research.

Strategic Partnerships & Global Impact

Wistar is deeply committed to the collaborative power of science, and we aim to continue expanding our network of colleagues throughout the worldwide community of foundational biomedical researchers.

Goals
  • Develop new domestic collaborative partnerships with regional health systems to advance translational research.

  • Attract international scientific talent to develop the next generation of leaders in biomedical research through global training programs anchored at Wistar.

  • Expand Wistar Science Accelerator Award program to globally support sustainable recruitment, public-private partnerships, technology development, access to patient resources and collaborations.

“As a world premiere research organization, Wistar has positioned itself as a unique force for breakthrough scientific advances, impactful discoveries, and long-lasting solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing health problems.”

Dario Altieri, M.D.

  • President and Chief Executive Officer
  • Director, Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center
  • Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor, Genome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program
Our Mission

The mission of The Wistar Institute is to marshal the talents of outstanding scientists through a highly enabled culture of biomedical collaboration and innovation, in order to solve some of the world’s most challenging and important problems in the field of cancer, immunology, and infectious diseases, and produce groundbreaking advances in world health. Consistent with a pioneering legacy of leadership in not-for-profit biomedical research and a track record of life-saving contributions in immunology and cell biology, The Wistar Institute aims to pursue novel and courageous research paths to life science discovery, and to accelerate/potentiate the impact of those discoveries by shortening the path from bench to bedside.

Our Vision

Our vision for Wistar is a path of science exceptionalism: to be recognized regionally and globally as one of the world’s most important and productive engines of transformative biomedical discovery, with an impact on human health that is disproportionate to our size; to be known for a distinctive brand of science — “Wistar Science” — that is original, fast-moving, and courageous; and to be sought after by other like-minded organizations as a partner of choice in advancing new health discoveries.

“This blueprint reflects our Institute-wide commitment to push forward and deliver purposeful, impactful advances in three core areas that define us: scientific freedom to do the nimblest, technologically-advanced science with a transformative impact on society and beyond; commitment to championing equity, diversity, and inclusion in unique education programs for students domestically and globally; and achieving more growth and success working with like-minded collaborators focused on biomedical research and technology to solve human health challenges.”

Dario Altieri, M.D., Wistar President & CEO

  • President and Chief Executive Officer
  • Director, Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center
  • Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor, Genome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program