Other Research Centers

Robert A. Fox Structural Biology Center

The Robert A. Fox Structural Biology Center was established in 1995 to support research into macromolecular structure and function. The Center is named for Robert A. Fox, President of Wistar's Board of Managers from 1984-1994, and the 1992 recipient of the first Wistar Award for his longstanding support of the Institute and its goals.

The Fox Center incorporates the laboratories of Ronen Marmorstein, Ph.D., and Emmanuel Skordalakes, Ph.D. Construction of the Center was partially funded through a matching grant from the National Science Foundation Infrastructure Program.

Research conducted in the Fox Center contributes to scientists' understanding of cell cycle control and transcription. It also provides graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with an opportunity to train in the techniques of macromolecular structure analysis. In addition, the Fox Center hosts a weekly research meeting that is attended by the eight crystallographic research groups on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Albert R. Taxin Brain Tumor Research Center

The Wistar Institute's Albert R. Taxin Brain Tumor Research Center honors the memory of Albert Taxin by providing Institute scientists with the resources they need to conduct brain tumor research. Initially, donations made possible the renovation of space for the Taxin Center, completed in early 1999. Today, they support ongoing research in what is the only brain tumor research center of its type in Pennsylvania.

Albert Taxin, for whom the Taxin Center is named, died in 1993 at age 53 of an incurable and inoperable brain tumor. An outpouring of philanthropic support in his memory led to construction of the Albert R. Taxin Brain Tumor Research, located on the Institute's third floor, opposite the Robert A. Fox Structural Biology Center. Fundraising efforts were led by his widow, Doris Taxin, honored in 1999 with the Wistar Award.

Center for Systems and Computational Biology

The Center for Systems and Computational Biology will help Wistar scientists develop lifesaving tests for the early diagnosis of lung, colon, and ovarian cancer; cardiovascular disease; and HIV. It will also aid in the development of tests for monitoring disease progression and guiding treatment. The center will allow scientists to process vast amounts of data at an unprecedented rate—an increasingly important capability for today’s researcher.

Computational biology is a critical component of systems biology. It involves the use of computer science, mathematics, and statistics to process and interpret very complex data sets. It gives scientists the tools to better understand the genetic basis of disease.

Center leadership includes Wistar faculty members David W. Speicher, Ph.D., director; Louise C. Showe, Ph.D., associate director and director of genomics; and Ramana Davuluri, Ph.D., associate director and director of computational biology.

Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine

The Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine is a partnership between The Wistar Institute and University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The centerpiece of the partnership is a new Molecular Screening Facility, at The Wistar Institute. Using the facility’s advanced screening technologies, scientists will be able to identify and characterize new molecules and compounds that hold the most promise for developing into therapeutic drugs for cancer and other diseases. Novel findings of small molecules and compounds will also spur further explorations in basic biomedical research – the core of Wistar’s mission.