Bioscience is what they do. Their singular focus is on powering the breakthroughs that will transform medicine.
The first institution in the United States devoted solely to using biomedical research to understand the underlying causes of disease, Rockefeller is today one of the foremost biomedical research centers in the world, and its scientists have made numerous seminal contributions to biology and medicine.
The origins of the university lie, in part, in personal tragedy. After John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s grandson died from scarlet fever in January 1901, the capitalist and philanthropist formalized plans to establish the research center he had been discussing for three years with his adviser Frederick T. Gates and his son John D. Rockefeller Jr. At the time of the institute’s founding, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria and typhoid fever were considered the greatest known threats to human health. New research centers in Europe, including the Koch and Pasteur Institutes, were successfully applying laboratory science to increase their understanding of those and other diseases. Following their lead, The Rockefeller Institute became the first biomedical research center in the United States.
At first, The Rockefeller Institute awarded grants to study, among other public health problems, bacterial contamination in New York City’s milk supply. After two years in temporary quarters, laboratories were opened in 1906 on the site of the former Schermerhorn farm at York Avenue (then called Avenue A) and 66th Street. From the beginning, Rockefeller researchers made important contributions to understanding and curing disease. Simon Flexner, the first director of the institute, developed a novel delivery system for an anti-meningitis serum; Hideyo Noguchi studied the syphilis microbe and searched for the cause of yellow fever; Louise Pearce developed a drug to use against African sleeping sickness; and Peyton Rous deduced that cancer can be caused by a virus.
Rockefeller University, a place of both quiet contemplation and intense scientific energy, their unique campus is the backdrop to a culture that values both independence and collaboration. Each of their 78 laboratories is led by a Rockefeller scientist who reports directly to the president. They have 9 broad areas of research, but 0 formal departments and a lean administration with minimal bureaucracy.
Their scientists have won a collective 24 Nobel Prizes, and 5 Nobel Prize winners are currently on their faculty. 41 percent of their faculty have been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.
They are a modern, thriving institution: Over the past 10 years they have invested over $2 billion in new facilities, scientific equipment, faculty recruitment, and research support. Their graduate program attracts exceptional Ph.D. students from around the world. They pay $0 in tuition.
