Salk Institute's Education Outreach

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies was founded over 40 years ago by the polio vaccine pioneer, Dr. Jonas Salk. He had a vision to establish an institute that would explore questions about the basic principles of life, and he hired master American Modern architect Louis Kahn to create a landmark campus that would facilitate the collaboration essential for discovery. Dr. Salk wanted to make it possible for biologists, physicists, chemists, and others to work together in a collaborative environment that would encourage them to consider the wider implications of their discoveries for the future of humanity. Bolstered by financial support from the March of Dimes and the commitment of a small group of eminent scientists who shared his vision, Dr. Salk created the Institute with a fundamental belief that basic research is humanity’s best hope for creating breakthrough discoveries.