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Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute

In 1972, The Wistar Institute became the first NCI-Designated Basic Cancer Center. The Wistar Institute was founded in 1892 as an anatomical museum and anatomical research and training center, but quickly evolved into a biomedical research facility that gained an international reputation. Throughout the 20th century, Wistar pioneered animal model studies and vaccine development. Today, Wistar is an international leader in basic biomedical research in cancer and infectious diseases, with a focus on discoveries leading to the development of novel therapies and vaccines.

The mission of The Wistar Institute Cancer Center is to merge basic, translational, and patient-oriented cancer research in a single scientific continuum with a focus on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. The institute’s scientists pursue research to understand the causes, treatment, and prevention of cancer. The Wistar Institute is committed to accelerating research advances from bench to bedside through science and collaboration among scientific investigators and academic and industry partners worldwide.

The Wistar Institute

Basic
Dario C. Altieri, MD
Director
3601 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4268
(215) 898-3926
Mark Drinker, MS
Association Director of Cancer Center Administration
Italo Tempera, PhD
Associate Director for Education
Jessie Villanueva, PhD
Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Research Programs

Research Program Program Leaders
Gene Expression and Regulation Paul Lieberman, PhD; Bin Tian, PhD
Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Rugang Zhang, PhD
Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Maureen Murphy, PhD; David Speicher, PhD

Shared Resources

Category Resource Directors
Cat 1: Laboratory Science Animal Facility Jessie Villanueva, PhD
Cat 1: Laboratory Science Flow Cytometry Luis Montaner, DVM, PhD
Cat 1: Laboratory Science Genomics Louise Showe, PhD
Cat 1: Laboratory Science Imaging Qing Chen, MD, PhD
Cat 1: Laboratory Science Molecular Screening and Protein Expression Joseph Salvino, PhD
Cat 1: Laboratory Science Proteomics and Metabolomics David Speicher, PhD
Cat 4: Clinical Research Biomedical Research Support Luis Montaner, DVM, PhD
Cat 7: Informatics Bioinformatics Facility Andrew Kossenkov, PhD
Last Updated
June 5, 2024