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The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research fondly recalls its pioneering director, David Baltimore, a distinguished MIT Institute Professor and Nobel laureate who passed away on September 6 at the age of 87.
Through numerous discoveries, Baltimore illuminated critical aspects of biology with direct consequences for human health. His research at MIT earned him a portion of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (alongside Howard Temin and Renato Dulbecco) for the discovery of reverse transcriptase and the identification of retroviruses, which utilize RNA to produce viral DNA.
Post-award, Baltimore shifted his lab’s emphasis to explore a combination of immunology and virology. Among the lab’s most pivotal later findings were the discovery of a duo of proteins crucial for enabling the immune system to generate antibodies for various molecules, and explorations into how specific viruses can induce cell transformation and cancer. Research from Baltimore’s lab also contributed to the creation of the significant cancer medication Gleevec — the first small molecule designed to target an oncoprotein within cells.
In 1982, Baltimore collaborated with philanthropist Edwin C. “Jack” Whitehead to conceptualize and establish the Whitehead Institute, serving as its founding director until 1990. Within ten years of its establishment, the Baltimore-led Whitehead Institute was recognized as the world’s premier research institution in molecular biology and genetics.
“More than 40 years later, the Whitehead Institute continues to flourish, still guided by the strategic vision articulated by David Baltimore and Jack Whitehead,” states Phillip Sharp, MIT Institute Professor Emeritus, former member of the Whitehead board, and fellow Nobel laureate. “Of all David’s extensive and impactful contributions to science, his involvement in creating the first independent biomedical research institute linked with MIT and leading it to remarkable achievement may ultimately prove to have had the widest and most enduring influence.”
Ruth Lehmann, director and president of the Whitehead Institute, and professor of biology at MIT, remarks: “I, like numerous others, credit my career to David Baltimore. He invited me to the Whitehead Institute and MIT in 1988 as a faculty member, taking a chance on a novice, newly minted PhD graduate from Germany. As director, David exhibited exceptional talent at uniting skilled scientists at diverse stages of their careers and facilitating their cooperation so that the collective outcome was greater than the sum of its individual efforts. This method remains a fundamental strength of the Whitehead Institute.”
As part of the Whitehead Institute’s mission to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders, Baltimore initiated the Whitehead Fellows program, granting extraordinarily gifted recent PhD and MD graduates the chance to establish their own laboratories, rather than opting for conventional postdoctoral roles. The program has achieved remarkable success, with former fellows excelling as leaders in research, education, and industry.
David Page, MIT professor of biology, Whitehead Institute member, and former director who was the Institute’s initial fellow, reflects, “David was both an outstanding scientist and an unparalleled leader for aspiring scientists. The initiation of the Whitehead Fellows program represented his formula for institutional success: gather resources to empower young scientists to realize their ambitions, recruit with a focus on their potential for significant impact, and quietly mentor and support without seeking recognition for the accomplishments of others — all while treating junior colleagues as equals. It is an admirable strategy that David crafted and executed superbly.”
Sally Kornbluth, president of MIT and a member of the Whitehead Institute Board of Directors, claims that “David was a scientific idol for countless people. He was one of those extraordinary individuals who could achieve remarkable scientific breakthroughs and guide major institutions with profound thoughtfulness and grace. His absence will be felt by the entire scientific community.”
“David was a discerning giant. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was an immensely effective, ethical leader and institution builder who inspired and influenced generations of scientists and leading institutions,” states Susan Whitehead, a board member and daughter of Jack Whitehead.
Gerald R. Fink, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Professor Emeritus at MIT who was recruited by Baltimore from Cornell University as one of four founding members of the Whitehead Institute, and who succeeded him as director in 1990, notes: “David became my hero and friend. He upheld the highest scientific standards and inspired confidence and respect in everyone around him.”
Baltimore was born in New York City in 1938. His scientific journey commenced at Swarthmore College, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree with high honors in chemistry in 1960. He then began doctoral studies in biophysics at MIT, but in 1961 redirected his focus to animal viruses and relocated to what is now the Rockefeller University, where he conducted his thesis work under Richard Franklin.
After completing postdoctoral fellowships with James Darnell at MIT and Jerard Hurwitz at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Baltimore established his own lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies from 1965 to 1968. Then, in 1968, he returned to MIT as a member of its biology faculty, where he remained until 1990. (Members of the Whitehead Institute hold concurrent faculty appointments in the MIT Department of Biology.)
In 1990, Baltimore departed the Whitehead Institute and MIT to assume the presidency of Rockefeller. He returned to MIT and the Whitehead from 1994 to 1997 and was then appointed president of Caltech, a role he held until 2006 when he was elected to a three-year term as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
For decades, Baltimore has been seen not only as an exceptional scientist and experienced academic leader but also as a wise advisor to the scientific community. For instance, he played an instrumental role in organizing the 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA, which established stringent safety protocols for the study and application of recombinant DNA technology. He was influential in developing policies concerning AIDS research and treatment, as well as genomic editing. By serving as an advisor to both organizations and individual scientists, he helped to shape the strategic courses of numerous institutions and to promote the careers of generations of researchers. As Founding Member Robert Weinberg summarizes, “He had no patience for nonsense and feeble science.”
In 2023, the Whitehead Institute created the endowed David Baltimore Chair in Biomedical Research, honoring Baltimore’s six decades of scientific, academic, and policy leadership alongside his contributions to advancing innovative basic biomedical research.
“David was a forward-thinking leader in science and the institutions that support it. He dedicated his career to advancing scientific understanding and fortifying the communities that enable discovery, and his leadership of the Whitehead Institute epitomized this,” states Richard Young, MIT professor of biology and Whitehead Institute member. “David approached life with keen perception, endless curiosity, and an ability for insight that made him both a remarkable scientist and a delightful companion. His commitment to mentoring and uplifting young scientists left a lasting legacy, motivating the next generation to pursue meaningful contributions to biomedical research. Many of us found in him not just a mentor and role model, but also a steadfast friend whose presence enriched our lives and whose absence will be deeply felt.”
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