The Wistar Institute

01/20/2026

🚨 Attention Research Trainees! 🚨

Don't miss out on one of Philadelphia's premier biomedical research trainee conferences! The 4th Annual Wistar Trainee Symposium is set for
Friday, February 27, 2026 so don't miss out!

This day-long event is designed for postdoctoral and predoctoral trainees to:

✅ Sharpen your presentation skills in a conference-style setting
✅ Network with leading researchers and peers
✅ Explore strategies to advance your research and career

🎟 Registration is FREE—secure your spot today!

👉 Visit https://bit.ly/4pXC7bX

01/19/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Qingshen Li on being named the inaugural Martha Stengel Miller Endowed Professor!

This new endowed professorship supports a Wistar faculty member dedicated to advancing HIV cure research.

Martha Stengel Miller was a passionate advocate for Wistar’s HIV program, and her connection to the Institute runs deep: her father, Dr. Alfred Stengel, served as Wistar’s Board President in the 1930s. This endowed professorship celebrates her legacy and her unwavering commitment to the pursuit of an HIV cure.

🔗 Learn more about how you can make a gift that links your name, or that of a friend or loved one, with Wistar’s inspiring work in basic biomedical research: https://bit.ly/3YDg2nk

01/16/2026

Last chance to register!

Join us for the next Philadelphia Drug Discovery Forum at The Wistar Institute on January 21 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Connect with leading scientists from academia, biopharma, and government during an evening dedicated to accelerating the path from research to medicine.

🎤 Featured Speakers

- Jason DeHart, Ph.D. — Head of Virology, Dispatch Biotherapeutics
- Jason Lamontagne, Ph.D. — Executive Director Discovery Research, GEMMA Biotherapeutics

Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and event begins promptly at 4 p.m. Register today and be part of the conversation shaping the future of medicine. https://bit.ly/4hQgasj

01/15/2026

👏 Big congrats to Dr. Italo Tempera, newly promoted Professor in the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center!

Italo’s story is a full-circle Wistar moment—starting as a postdoc in the Lieberman Lab, building his independent research at Temple, then returning in 2020 to lead pioneering studies on how Epstein-Barr virus rewires the epigenome. His discoveries are opening the door to new therapeutic strategies for EBV‑associated cancers.

We’re excited to celebrate this milestone and the impact still to come. Learn more about his work ➡️ https://bit.ly/49mwnTv

01/14/2026

Foundational research is the lifeblood of scientific progress — but so is blood. Wistar’s Phlebotomy Core allows donors to give the gift of discovery by donating blood to the Institute’s biomedical research enterprise.

Blood donated to The Wistar Institute allows our scientists to compare healthy cells and disease cells; study new disease indicators; test new drugs; and evaluate characteristics associated with disease protection.

Interested in being a blood donor for science? Click here to learn more: https://bit.ly/3yPYdb6

Phlebotomy - The Wistar Institute, global leader in biomedical research

01/13/2026

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Jianliang Xu to our HIV Cure & Viral Diseases Center. Dr. Xu’s research centers on antibody and nanobody engineering to create powerful tools that could help fight HIV and emerging pathogens. His work focuses on creating next-generation therapies to neutralize viruses and uncover new strategies for eradicating HIV.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3LwoOQU

01/12/2026

We’re thrilled to share that Philadelphia Today featured a Q&A with our new Center for Advanced Therapeutics leader Dr. Paul Lieberman.

The Center will unite world-class researchers, cutting-edge technology, and advanced facilities to accelerate discoveries from the lab to the clinic—tackling today’s most urgent and unmet medical needs. This was all made possible by an extraordinary $30 million gift from an anonymous donor.

🔗 Read more: https://t.co/MgN0gsSaSG

01/09/2026

Attention future postdocs! Are you a senior Ph.D. student, recent graduate, or early-career postdoc exploring opportunities in one of the world’s most vibrant life science hubs?

Join The Wistar Institute and our fellow research institutions for the Philadelphia Postdoc Preview on Tuesday, February 11, from 12:00–3:30 PM EST (online). Discover:

✅ Program details & research areas
✅ What it’s like to live and work in Philly
✅ Insights from current postdocs and institutional leaders

Don’t miss this chance to connect and learn!

👉 Register now: https://bit.ly/40bDHvd

01/08/2026

Don't forget to register for the upcoming Eunice and Irving Leopold Scientific Symposium and Retreat on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026.

Join Wistar’s Dr. Katherine Aird and a panel of other great speakers for this engaging day exploring the basic science of cancer biology.

Location: Gaulton Auditorium - University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Research Building.
Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Register today! https://bit.ly/4an6R1s

01/07/2026

🎉A big thank you to the Melanoma Research Alliance for awarding Wistar’s Dr. Jessie Villanueva a $200,000 MRA Next Steps Grant!

This funding will power Dr. Villanueva’s groundbreaking work on acral melanoma—a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer—with the goal of uncovering new therapeutic strategies and improving patient outcomes.

🔍 Learn more about her innovative research into this challenging disease: https://bit.ly/3NdP4A3

01/06/2026

Join us for the second NIIMBL eXperience @ Wistar this June!

This all-expenses-paid, immersive weeklong program is designed for first- and second-year college students to explore careers in the biopharmaceutical industry through hands-on training, mentoring, networking, and career-focused discussions.

Wistar is one of just five locations selected to host a NIIMBL eXperience in 2026, offering a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of biotech leaders.

🔗 Interested? Learn more and apply today: https://bit.ly/3EJ8Pvy

01/05/2026

Don't forget to register for the next Philadelphia Drug Discovery Forum!

📅January 21 - 4 to 6 p.m. | 📍 The Wistar Institute

Connect with leading scientists from academia, biopharma, and government at the Philadelphia Drug Discovery Forum — an evening dedicated to accelerating the path from research to medicine.

🎤 Featured Speakers

- Jason DeHart, Ph.D. — Head of Virology, Dispatch Biotherapeutics
- Jason Lamontagne, Ph.D. — Executive Director Discovery Research, GEMMA Biotherapeutics

Expect dynamic discussions, meaningful networking, and opportunities to spark regional collaborations that drive innovation in drug discovery.

Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and event begins promptly at 4 p.m. Register today and be part of the conversation shaping the future of medicine. https://bit.ly/4hQgasj