Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (WIBR) represents one of the great success stories in biomedical research. The institute was founded in 1982 through the generosity of Edwin C. "Jack" Whitehead, a businessman and philanthropist who sought to create a new type of research institution.

Jack Whitehead envisioned a research facility that would be free-standing and thus independent of the financial and legal control of a university, yet offer all of the benefits of active participation in the intellectual life of the university's research community. He believed that such an institution would give outstanding young investigators broad freedom to pursue new ideas, encourage novel collaborations among established investigators, and accelerate the pace of scientific discovery. Whitehead chose David Baltimore, a Nobel laureate and then a faculty member in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology biology department, as founding director; together, they established an institution with a close working relationship with MIT and its biology department. Baltimore proceeded to assemble a core group of top-notch researchers as the founding Members of WIBR, and provided them with a facility that represented state-of-the-art scientific infrastructure.

Jack Whitehead's dream succeeded beyond all expectations. Since 1990, the Whitehead Institute has been ranked among the top research institutions in the world. Its worldwide renowned faculty include:

  • a recipient of the National Medal of Science (Dr. Robert A. Weinberg);
  • seven Members of the National Academy of Science (Drs. Gerry Fink, Eric Lander, Harvey Lodish, Rudolf Jaenisch, David Page, Susan Lindquist and Weinberg);
  • three Members of the Institute of Medicine (Drs. Fink, Lander, and Weinberg);
  • six Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Drs. Fink, Jaenisch, Lander, Lindquist, Lodish, and Weinberg); and
  • two Members of the American Philosophical Society (Drs. Fink and Lindquist).

WIBR scientists, all of whom have joint appointments in the biology department at MIT, have pioneered new discoveries in biomedical research and have made fundamental discoveries in a host of biomedical research fields. Specifically, its scientists have:

  • created the first transgenic mouse model of a severe human disease and the first designer mouse clone carrying an inserted gene (Dr. Jaenisch);
  • identified the first human cancer-causing gene (oncogene), the first tumor suppressor gene, and a component part of the telomerase enzyme that enables cancer cells to divide indefinitely (Dr. Weinberg);
  • mimicked and gained insights into early events of life on earth and is involved in the new chemical genomics technique — RNAi (Dr. David Bartel);
  • isolated key genes involved in diabetes, hypertension, leukemia and obesity (Dr. Lodish);
  • pioneered the field of yeast genetics, inventing the tools of yeast genetics, including genetic modification of fungi. Discovered yet unknown properties of yeast that suggested new ways to fight stubborn fungal diseases (Dr. Fink);
  • mapped and cloned the male sex (Y) chromosome, shedding light on the genetics of male infertility and the evolution of sex chromosomes (Dr. David Page);
  • created novel approaches to the development of AIDS and tuberculosis vaccines (Dr. Rick Young);
  • deciphered critical structures on the surface of the flu, AIDS, and Ebola viruses, leading to new strategies for blocking HIV infection (Dr. Peter Kim, who is now President of Merck Laboratories);
  • pioneered the use of DNA arrays to diagnose cancer and decipher genome-wide circuitry (Drs. Lander and Young);
  • generated the largest contribution worldwide of sequence information to the Human Genome Project, designed to map and sequence the entire human genome, including the development of automation, robotics, and information technologies needed for this large-scale scientific effort (Dr. Lander);
  • produced the first large collection of human genetic variations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), that make it possible to isolate genes that underlie complex diseases and traits (Dr. Lander).

Secrets of Whitehead Institute's success

The secrets of the Whitehead Institute's success lie not only in the creativity of its scientists but also in the environment that supports them. As an independent research institute that is responsible for its own governance and finance, the institute is able to offer faculty seed money and support that enable them to explore novel, untested ideas. This allows the institute's research groups to move quickly and nimbly in response to scientific opportunities, and offers its faculty (Members of the Whitehead Institute) greater flexibility in designing their research programs.

Another secret of its success is the WIBR Fellows program. Designed to nurture future leaders in science, this program provides exceptionally talented, young scientists who have recently completed their doctoral studies the rare opportunity — and ability — to set up research programs of their own as an alternative to traditional postdoctoral positions. Young Ph.D. and M.D. graduates with proven excellence in research are given the necessary resources to work as principal investigators. Freed from teaching responsibilities, Fellows concentrate solely on their research and build thriving scientific programs during their 5-year tenure as a WIBR Fellow. Their research enables them to compete for federal grants, grants from foundations and corporations, and individuals. The career paths of the dozen or so former Fellows, who are all prominent researchers in their respective fields, demonstrates the program's success and has served as a model for a number of similar programs elsewhere.