Salk Institute La Jolla California
The Salk Institute consistently ranks among the leading
research institutions in the world in objective measures of the
contributions of faculty and the impact of their findings. The Institute has
trained more than 2,000 scientists, many of whom have gone on to positions
of leadership in other prominent research centers worldwide. Five scientists
trained at the Institute have won Nobel prizes, and four current resident
faculty members are Nobel Laureates.
Major areas of study focus within three areas: Molecular Biology and
Genetics; Neurosciences; and Plant Biology. Knowledge acquired in Salk
laboratories provides new understanding and potential new therapies and
treatments for a range of diseases—from cancer to AIDS, from Alzheimer’s
disease to cardiovascular disorders, from anomalies of the brain to birth
defects. Studies in plant biology at the Salk may one day help improve the
quality and quantity of the world’s food supply.
Today, the
Salk Institute conducts its biological research under the
guidance of 56 faculty investigators, employing a scientific staff of more
than 850, including visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate
students. This group, recruited throughout the world, receives advice from
nine distinguished nonresident fellows—influential scientists at similar
institutions throughout the world.
With the completion of the Human Genome Project, the Salk Institute is
strengthening its existing programs while also moving in exciting new
directions. Six key areas represent strategic research priorities: Chemistry
and Proteomics; Stem Cell Biology; Cell Biology; Regulatory Biology;
Metabolic Research; and Computational and Theoretical Biology.