The David Baltimore Chair in Biomedical Research at Whitehead Institute

Named after Nobel prize-winning scientist David Baltimore, this Chair honors the tremendous legacy of Whitehead Institute's Founding Director. Under Baltimore’s leadership, Whitehead Institute became one of the world’s preeminent institutions for foundational biomedical research. 

The Baltimore Chair is held by a senior Member of the Institute. In addition to providing a tangible investment in that eminent investigator’s long-term research program, this endowed professorship is a vibrant recognition of their distinguished record of accomplishment.

Created in 2023, the Chair's inaugural incumbent is Mary Gehring, Whitehead Institute Member and professor of biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Gehring is a plant biologist whose current work focuses on the epigenetics underpinning the resiliency and nutritional content of food crop plants. 

The Baltimore Chair is underwritten by an endowment created by generous donors.

See the donor honor roll here.