Who We Are
The Wistar Institute is the nation’s first independent institution devoted to biomedical research and training.
Founded as an anatomical teaching museum in 1892, The Wistar Institute has been committed to the pursuit of original scientific knowledge from its early days. Continuing its rich history of discoveries and biomedical breakthroughs, Wistar today is an international leader in basic biomedical research in cancer and infectious diseases, with a focus on discoveries leading to the development of novel therapies and vaccines.
In 1972, The Wistar Institute was designated a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center in basic research—a distinction it holds to this day.
Wistar discoveries have led to the development of vaccines for rabies, rubella, and rotavirus, the identification of genes associated with different types of cancer, the development of monoclonal antibodies, and other significant research technologies and tools. Our distinctive way of doing science is to harnesses the collaboration and creativity of some of the world’s leading experts and foster their collaboration to generate basic discoveries that can be translated into out-of-the-box solutions to the global health challenges of our times.
Mission Statement
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.
Research. Discoveries. Breakthroughs.
Learn more about The Wistar Institute through this informative brochure.