The Wistar Institute

The Wistar Institute, founded in 1892, is recognized as the first independent biomedical research institute in the United States. It is a global leader in biomedical research with specialized expertise in cancer, immunology, infectious diseases, and vaccine development. The institute’s Cancer Center, named the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center, and its Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, focusing on immunology, virology, and immuno-oncology, are key components of its research infrastructure. Additionally, the Center for Systems and Computational Biology supports advanced research methodologies. The Wistar Institute offers the Caspar Wistar Fellows Program and several shared resources, including facilities for animal care, bioinformatics, biomedical research support, flow cytometry, genomics, histotechnology, humanized models of disease, imaging, molecular screening, protein expression, and proteomics and metabolomics. The institute’s Animal Facility has been fully accredited by AAALAC International since 1998. The Genomics Facility supports a wide range of nucleic acid-based studies, and the Imaging Facility provides advanced microscopy and imaging services. The Wistar Institute also emphasizes education and training, offering programs for high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students, as well as a Biomedical Technician Training Program and the Fox Biomedical Research Technician Apprenticeship. The institute’s strategic plan for 2021-2026 focuses on exceptional basic and translational cancer and infectious disease research and building a collaborative, educational, and innovative life science ecosystem. The Wistar Institute has a notable history in vaccine development, including vaccines for rubella, rabies, and rotavirus, and remains committed to solving some of the world’s most challenging problems in cancer, immunology, and infectious diseases through groundbreaking advances in world health.