About
Salk

Unlocking the
secrets of life itself

The Salk Institute is an independent, nonprofit research institute founded in 1960 by Jonas Salk, developer of the first safe and effective polio vaccine. The Institute’s mission is to drive foundational, collaborative, risk-taking research that addresses society’s most pressing challenges, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and agricultural resilience. This foundational science underpins all translational efforts, generating insights that enable new medicines and innovations worldwide.

Learn more about Salk.

Board of Trustees

  • Marna C. Whittington, PhD (Chair)
  • Terry Rosen, PhD (Vice Chair)
  • Janelle Ayres, PhD
  • Wolfgang Busch, PhD
  • David Dolby
  • Frederick J. Dotzler
  • Jay Flatley
  • Carol Gallagher, PharmD
  • Richard A. Heyman, PhD
  • Lyn Hutton
  • Amy Jacobs
  • Sanjay K. Jha, PhD
  • Gerald Joyce, MD, PhD
  • Benjamin H. Lewis, MD
  • Fred Luddy
  • Corinne Mentzelopoulos
  • Christian Metallo, PhD
  • Howard H. Newman, PhD
  • Frederik Paulsen, PhD
  • Markus Reinhard
  • Eric Sagerman
  • Mary Jane Salk
  • Timothy M. Schoen
  • Andrew “Drew” Senyei
  • Haeyoung Kong Tang, PhD
  • Daniel Tierney
  • Horacio Valeiras
  • Irving Weissman, MD