When our Founding Director, David Baltimore, passed away in September, he left a profound legacy. Alongside Jack Whitehead, David established Whitehead Institute as an independent hub with the singular vision of accelerating biomedical discovery and advancing human health. Together, they recruited both established scientists and younger, unproven ones, like me, to work in a research ecosystem that fostered collaboration. They invited us to tackle biology’s toughest questions. David’s impact was felt not just by us, but also by the broader scientific community, as he shaped institutions, nurtured countless careers, and was an ardent advocate for science.

As the nation’s scientific enterprise faces unprecedented challenges, Whitehead Institute is more committed than ever to accelerating discovery and innovation by supporting our scientists. This Report offers a look at our science, training, and outreach, revealing how our work — with your help — narrows the gap between discoveries and better health for all. Your support fuels the bold ideas and groundbreaking biomedical research that will bring tomorrow’s cures and forge real solutions to the defining challenges of our time, from human disease to the climate crisis.

Whitehead scientists embrace the power of curiosity, asking daring questions and developing innovative strategies. This year, they explored how proteins move through cells, how the same genetic code can produce different proteins, how a cancer cell grows into a tumor, how sperm production can influence offspring sex, and how certain cells can resist aging. Each discovery advances understanding — of rare diseases, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases — and may move boundaries for prevention and treatment.

Through the Whitehead Innovation Initiative (WII), Whitehead Institute is fostering a new era of discovery by leveraging AI and other emerging technologies to accelerate progress in biology. In its inaugural year, WII-supported projects showed remarkable progress, culminating in the standing-room-only symposium AI: Advancing Foundational Biology.

Whitehead community spirit remains strong. The Whitehead Institute nurtures future scientific and thought leaders through its commitments to fellows, junior faculty, and trainees, as well as through educational programs for middle and high school students and their teachers. Our newly launched alumni network is strengthening connections beyond Kendall Square. As our alumni forge new paths, we are so proud of their accomplishments. A highlight for reflection this year was the retirement symposium celebrating Founding Member and former Director Gerald Fink and his new book, The Creation of Whitehead Institute: A Radical Experiment. 

We are also excited to welcome Ron Vale, a pioneering cell biologist and HHMI Investigator, who will be joining Whitehead Institute and the MIT faculty. Formerly at UCSF and the HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ron will promote global education through MIT Open Learning, integrating biology and artificial intelligence. We look forward to his inspiring contributions in research and teaching.

Advancing science and empowering the next generation are not only central to Whitehead Institute’s mission, but are also key to meeting today’s challenges. By emboldening young scientists to tackle the toughest questions with confidence and creativity, we carry forward David Baltimore’s legacy and lay the groundwork that will inspire and sustain the future. I am thrilled to share some of this year’s accomplishments with you and to look ahead to what we can achieve together.

Whitehead Institute remembers David Baltimore: its Founding Director and a globally revered scientific leader

We fondly remember Nobel Laureate David Baltimore, who died September 6th. A brilliant scientist, with discovery after discovery Baltimore brought to light key features of biology with direct implications for human health. In 1982, Baltimore partnered with philanthropist Edwin C. “Jack” Whitehead to conceive and launch Whitehead Institute and then served as its Founding Director until 1990. Within a decade of its founding, the Baltimore-led Whitehead Institute was named the world’s top research institution in molecular biology and genetics.

“More than 40 years later, Whitehead Institute is thriving, still guided by the strategic vision that David Baltimore and Jack Whitehead articulated,” says former Board Member and fellow Nobel Laureate Phillip Sharp. “Of all David’s myriad and significant contributions to science, his role in building the first independent biomedical research institute associated with MIT and guiding it to extraordinary success may well prove to have had the broadest and longest-term impact.” In 2023, Whitehead Institute established the endowed David Baltimore Chair in Biomedical Research, honoring Baltimore’s six decades of scientific, academic, and policy leadership and his impact on advancing innovative basic biomedical research.

Ruth Lehmann, director and president of Whitehead Institute, says, “I, like many others, owe my career to David Baltimore. He recruited me to Whitehead Institute and MIT in 1988 as a faculty member, taking a risk on an unproven, freshly-minted Ph.D. graduate from Germany. As director, David was incredibly skilled at bringing together talented scientists at different stages of their careers and facilitating their collaboration so that the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts. This approach remains a core strength of Whitehead Institute.”

Click here to read the rest of our remembrance of David Baltimore.

Trainees explain their science

Whitehead Institute’s trainees — its postdoctoral researchers and graduate students — are integral to the Institute's mission. Though early in their careers, these researchers ask bold questions and, through hard work and ingenuity, discover answers that deepen scientific understanding and often provide insights relevant to health and disease. With the work they do here and after they leave the Institute, they will maintain the vitality of the scientific enterprise for decades to come. Watch a few of our trainees explain their science in their own words in two of our video series: Science in 60, in which researchers explain their research in one minute, and Ask a Scientist, in which researchers answer questions from middle and high school students.

Xochitl Luna discusses investigating the role of microglia — the brain’s resident immune cells — in multiple sclerosis.

Henry Kilgore answers a 9th grader's question: How do proteins know where to go inside a cell?

Gayathri Muthukumar discusses how the outer mitochondrial membrane, which is a hub for signaling proteins, helps regulate mitochondrial functions.

Highlights from Expedition:Bio, Whitehead Institute's summer science program for middle school students

Whitehead Institute is committed to training the next generation of scientific leaders. In addition to our graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and Whitehead Fellows, this commitment extends to the middle school and high school students that participate in our education and outreach programs, as well as the high school teachers enrolled in our high school teacher program. The programs provide potentially transformative experiences, exposing students, many for the first time, to the excitement of scientific research and new career possibilities. 

Every summer, a group of rising seventh and eighth graders participate in Expedition:Bio — two weeks of engrossing hands-on science at Whitehead Institute, with an extra helping of fun. For a glimpse into their experience, we spoke to several students who joined this year's program, to hear about what they learned. 

From constructing paper microscopes, to extracting DNA from strawberries and observing cells under a microscope — students encountered a wide range of activities and introductory concepts in biology. "It's fun, it's really interactive," Jacob Carvalho says. "We got to see the labs at Whitehead Institute." 

Building the paper microscopes, called Foldscopes, was a standout activity among students. A Foldscope starts out as a flat sheet of paper, which a student bends and creases like origami, before adding a lens that magnifies samples up to 140 times. "I didn't think they would work. But we added our samples, and we could see something microscopic," Phoebe Cochis says. 

Another highlight has been visiting the BioBuilder Learning Lab in Boston, where students used PCR, the laboratory technique used to detect and analyze particular DNA sequences in samples. The day's study subject was vitamin A-infused yeast, dubbed "golden yeast." This engineered yeast grows in a variety of colors — from deep reds to pale yellows and white — depending on its ability to synthesize the pigment beta-carotene. "We actually worked on the yeast," Carvalho says. "We got to incubate it, then saw the results the next day. There was orange, purple … each group had different colored yeast." 

"The instructors are really good at explaining things to you. We got to see the results of our experiments," says Cochis, who appreciated not simply following instructions, but learning how things worked along the way. A handful of undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs graciously shared their time with Expedition:Bio — they ran workshops, gave tours of their workspaces, and answered questions about what it's like being a scientist. Sung Hwa Chang and Erica Stoloff, both high school teachers in the area, served as instructors over the two weeks, guiding students through each day's activities.

Most but not all learning happened inside a lab. Taking advantage of the warm summer weather, Expedition:Bio ventured to Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Students observed local flora and fauna — from water stick-bugs, to green frogs and their tadpoles. "Drumlin farm was really cool, because we actually got to go out in the field," Cochis says. "We were able to observe animals — not just observe them, but think of them in a more scientific way."

At Mount Auburn Cemetery in Watertown, science illustrator Sandy McDermott led a birding excursion, where students had the chance to observe a red-tail hawk and sketch it in their nature journals. Students also received an introduction to citizen science projects at Mount Auburn, including one focused on identifying mushrooms and another that monitors insect populations in relation to climate change.

The majority of participants in Expedition:Bio were newcomers, with some exceptions. "It's my second year here, I came back, so that's how much I liked it," Carvalho says. Aya Behhite, who worked as an assistant this year, was once an Expedition:Bio student herself. "It was definitely a lot of déjà vu. We would go somewhere, and I'd be like 'oh my gosh,' I remembered when I was here as a student." Behhite, who begins her sophomore year of high school, is thinking about studying biology in college, with her sights set on becoming a doctor or a researcher.

"My favorite moment is when the kids see something new, or they're doing an experiment. They see the results and they get really excited," Behhite says. 

On the last day, students select a favorite activity from the past two weeks, and craft their own poster on the subject. Gathering in Whitehead Institute's cafeteria, the students present their findings to those attending. "It's so exciting to see kids who hadn’t considered pursuing science become interested in doing so after attending our programs," says Amy Tremblay, Whitehead Institute's Manager of Public Programs.

One of the main takeaways from these two weeks? Cochis sums it up: "There's a lot you're capable of, and there's a lot that you're able to learn, even if you're young. It just matters that you have a good teacher and you're motivated to do it."

Below are updates on inspiring core programs we offered in 2025, plus links to additional information on each. 

Whitehead Institute celebrated the legacy of its Founding Member and Former Director Gerald Fink at a retirement symposium held on May 13.

Fink is known for his pioneering work in yeast genetics — discovering how to “transform” yeast, introducing and propagating foreign DNA into the organism, developing it as a genetic model system — which has also led to important advances in the production of pharmaceuticals. Beyond his own research, he mentored scientists whose discoveries have reshaped a range of scientific fields.

Click here to read more about the celebration.

Fink's book, The Creation of Whitehead Institute: A radical experiment, published this year, is available for purchase from the MIT Press bookstore.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how scientists are interrogating biological processes and drawing insights from the expansive datasets emerging from biomedical research. By uncovering hidden patterns and predicting experimental outcomes — among other applications — AI holds the potential to accelerate biomedical discovery. 

This was the theme at AI: Advancing Foundational Biology, a symposium held at Whitehead Institute on April 8. The event featured talks by computational biologists and AI experts from Cambridge, New York, and Toronto, and drew an audience of over 400 researchers and students interested in exploring the intersection of AI and biology.

Click here to read more about the event.

Whitehead Institute welcomes Ron Vale as its newest Member

Ron Vale, a world-renowned cell biologist who is an expert on motor proteins and cell transport systems, joins Whitehead Institute this December as a Member. In addition to this appointment, Vale is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator and will join the MIT Department of Biology faculty.

"It's very clear that Whitehead Institute contains a group of scientists who are deeply interested in one another's research, who form a close-knit and collaborative community, one with a strong training ethos," Vale says. "I think those qualities make for a wonderful place to work, and an amazing environment to do great science."

Click here to read more.

In conversation with biopharma investment leader Maren Winnick

When Maren Winnick joined the Whitehead Institute Board of Directors this year, she brought to the role deep expertise in finance and a keen understanding of how healthcare organizations navigate growth and communicate their impact to the world.

A senior managing director and partner at the global investment banking advisory firm Evercore, Winnick has guided major acquisitions by Novartis, Sanofi, and other leading biopharma companies. She also co-leads the Evercore Women’s Network, a community dedicated to supporting and mentoring women as they advance their careers in finance.

Click here to read a conversation in which Winnick shares why she chose to engage with Whitehead Institute and how she hopes to help guide its path forward.

Laying foundations for the future

As a venture capital leader, Terrance (Terry) McGuire has spent his career advancing breakthroughs in medicine and information technology. Recognized as one of Forbes’ Top Life Sciences Investors and included in Scientific American’s Worldview 100, he has long been committed to turning transformative ideas into real-world solutions.

In 2022, McGuire joined the Whitehead Institute Board of Directors. And this year, through the McGuire Family Foundation, he and his wife, Carolyn Carr McGuire, made a $100,000 gift to support Whitehead Valhalla Fellow Aditya Raguram’s lab.

Raguram and his team are developing novel methods to deliver large genome-editing proteins into cells — an approach that could power the next-generation of therapies capable of silencing or correcting disease-causing genes. We sat down with Terry to learn more about what inspired the family’s support.

Click here to read the full interview. 

Meet Whitehead Institute Alumni

Whitehead Institute is committed to training the next generation of scientists to be innovative, curious, courageous thinkers who will pursue work that has the potential to make a meaningful impact on science and society. Every year, Whitehead Institute labs welcome new postdoctoral researchers, and say goodbye to postdocs who have completed their work here and are moving on to the next stage in their careers. Six Whitehead Institute alumni who were originally featured in our "Meet a Whitehead postdoc series" have returned for a new Q&A to reflect on how their time at Whitehead Institute informed their careers and share updates on where they are now. Read more.

Whitehead Institute builds scientific bridges to advance human health

Since its inception, Whitehead Institute has driven groundbreaking discoveries in the basic biology of health and disease while training the next generation of biomedical innovators. This past year, its mission of improving human health through foundational research gained new momentum when Whitehead Institute convened physicians and scientists at Boston Children’s Hospital with Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, uniting the vibrant research ecosystems on either side of the Charles River. Read more.

A look inside the Whitehead Fellows Program

Since its founding by David Baltimore in 1984, the Whitehead Fellows Program has served as a launchpad for exceptional early-career scientists, many of whom will go on to become leaders in academia, research, and the biotechnology industry. In doing so, the program has advanced Whitehead Institute’s mission forging new frontiers in science, uncovering insights today that unlock the potential of tomorrow.

Discoveries from the Fellows’ labs have yielded profound insights across a range of scientific topics, including the genetic drivers of drug addiction, the gene regulatory role of sex chromosomes, strategies to rally the immune system against cancer, and exposing vulnerabilities in some of the most treatment-resistant cancers. 

As a result of the group’s collective achievements, the Fellows Program has established an enduring legacy. The Program’s alumni include current and former heads of major research centers, leaders of extraordinarily productive laboratories at many of the nation’s most respected universities, a White House science advisor, a NASA astronaut, a dean of Harvard Medical School, senior executives at major biomedical companies, and four current Members of Whitehead Institute. Their exceptional contributions have been recognized with some of the field’s highest honors, including the MacArthur Fellowship, the Breakthrough Prize, HHMI Investigator appointments, and election to the National Academy of Sciences.

Beyond their scientific achievements, Fellows are dedicated mentors and educators, training undergraduates and graduate students, supporting early-career researchers, and contributing meaningfully to the broader Whitehead Institute community. 

To further build on its tradition of empowering emerging scientific talent, Whitehead Institute recently established the AI Fellowship, which enables recent PhDs or MDs to launch independent research groups focused on applying artificial intelligence to fundamental biological research. The expertise of Whitehead Institute’s inaugural AI Fellow, Na Sun, will be a valuable resource for Whitehead Institute researchers seeking to employ AI and other deep learning techniques to answer fundamental biological questions.

Curent Whitehead Fellows include: Na Sun and Whitehead Valhalla Fellows Lindsey Backman, Tobiloba Oni, Allison Hamilos, and Aditya Raguram. Valhalla Fellow Kipp Weiskopf completed his tenure this fall. Read more about their research in the “Our Science” section above.

A year of change and renewal

Whitehead Institute empowers the best scientists to ask bold, fundamental questions in biology. While this research is not always predictable, it is the driving force behind medical innovation and clinical progress.

Our researchers include physician-scientists studying childhood leukemias, lymphomas, brain cancers, and fatty liver disease, among other conditions. By combining clinical insights with foundational research, they are seeking breakthroughs that transform patient outcomes. 

What draws them to Whitehead Institute is our collaborative environment, where experts from diverse fields work together to tackle biological problems that have remained unsolved for decades. This interdisciplinary approach is exactly how transformative therapies are made possible.

This has been a year of change and renewal for Whitehead Institute, even as the landscape of biomedical research funding shifts. We’ve welcomed new scientists and launched ambitious research directions, while navigating moments of loss. 

The passing of our Founding Director, David Baltimore, has caused us to reflect on the bold vision on which this Institute was built: to support brilliant minds in pursuing foundational research that expands our understanding of biological processes and, in doing so, advances human health. We are thrilled to welcome Ron Vale to our community and to see researchers at every stage of their careers pursuing ideas that lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s therapies and technologies. 

Efforts like the Whitehead Innovation Initiative, which advances the use of artificial intelligence in biology, further our mission by helping us explore biological problems with unprecedented depth and scope. But the journey from an initial question to a transformative therapy is rarely straightforward. Breakthroughs take years, sometimes decades, to realize. This is why sustained investment in foundational science is so critical. 

At a time when, as a country, we are reconsidering the enterprise of science, we thank you for your belief in the power of foundational science. Forging new frontiers in science, uncovering insights today that unlock the potential of tomorrow, is what defines Whitehead Institute. Thank you for joining us in this mission.

Sarah Keohane Williamson  
Chair, Board of Directors