Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
La Jolla, CA10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037-1005
858-646-3100
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) is a nonprofit medical research institute dedicated to discovering the fundamental mechanisms of disease and developing transformative therapies for patients. SBP employs more than 1,000 scientists and staff in San Diego, California, La Jolla, California, and Orlando, Florida.
The institute was founded in 1976 by Dr. William H. Rastetter, who served as its first president and CEO. Dr. Rastetter was recruited to La Jolla by Dr. Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine, to help establish The Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Dr. Rastetter recruited Dr. Arnold J. Levine, a cancer biologist from Rockefeller University, to serve as SBP’s first scientific director.
SBP’s focus on cancer research began with Dr. Levine’s discovery of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. This groundbreaking discovery led to the development of several cancer therapies that are now used to treat patients with various types of cancer. SBP’s cancer research program has since expanded to include the study of other types of cancer, such as leukemia, brain cancer, and breast cancer.
In addition to cancer research, SBP’s research programs include the study of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease; infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and influenza; and inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis and Crohn’s disease. SBP’s research is conducted in six scientific programs: Cancer, Neurobiology, Infectious Disease, Immunology, Metabolism, and Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine.
SBP is home to several state-of-the-art research facilities, including the Rastetter Center for Stem Cell Research, the Levine Cancer Institute, the de Toledo-Levine Family Foundation Cancer Center, and the Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics. SBP’s campus also includes the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, which merged with SBP in 2015.
The institute is funded by philanthropic donations, government grants, and private companies. SBP’s major donors include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Cancer Research Institute.
SBP’s mission is to improve human health by conducting innovative, high-impact research and training the next generation of scientific leaders. SBP’s vision is to create a world without disease.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 26
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.sbpdiscovery.org/education/graduate-school
Financial Aid: https://