For more than 30 years, Whitehead faculty have delivered breakthroughs that have transformed our understanding of biology and accelerated development of therapies for such diseases as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,  diabetes, and certain cancers.

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Whitehead Institute was founded in 1982 by visionary industrialist and philanthropist Edwin C. “Jack” Whitehead, who was driven by a single vision: to assemble a cadre of the world’s finest biomedical researchers under one roof and eliminate virtually any impediment to their pursuit of scientific discovery. He sought to create a wholly independent, self-governing institution with a close affiliation with a leading research university. His plans came to fruition with the help of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) biology professor and Nobel Laureate David Baltimore, who worked to structure an affiliation agreement with MIT and who would become Whitehead Institute’s Founding Director.