SAN FRANCISCO, CA—November 3, 2008—The J. David Gladstone Institutes was named the best place to work in U.S. academia according to The Scientist magazine's annual survey published in its November issue. Gladstone was also ranked #1 as the best place for postdoctoral fellows to work in an earlier Scientist survey this year. Gladstone and the University of California San Francisco, which placed #12 were the only California organizations to make the list. Fifty-four institutions participated in the survey, with only 40 making the annual list.

“Our commitment to excellence in research can be achieved only by attracting and retaining top scientific talent,” said Gladstone president Dr. Robert W. Mahley, MD, PhD. “We are honored and gratified to achieve this ranking in the face of increasing competition each year.”

According to The Scientist, survey respondents were asked to assess their working environments by indicating their level of agreement with 41 criteria in 8 different areas. Categories included the quality of mentoring, infrastructure & environment, pay, research resources and tenure. The most important factor in a strong work environment cited in this year's survey was the relationship with coworkers and mentors.

“With a competitive location like the San Francisco Bay Area, we have to work hard to create and maintain the collaborative environment that inspires success,” said John LeViathan, Gladstone Institutes human resources manager. “Along with our #1 ranking for postdocs, this achievement underscores our commitment to excellence in all aspects of this organization.”

About the Gladstone Institutes
The J. David Gladstone Institutes, an independent, non-profit biomedical research organization affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is dedicated to the health and welfare of humankind through research into the causes and prevention of some of the world's most devastating diseases. Gladstone is comprised of the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology and the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease. More information can be found at www.gladstone.ucsf.edu.
 

The Top 15 U.S. Institutions:

1. The J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA
2. Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
3. Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY
4. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
5. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
6. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO
7. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
8. Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK
9. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
10. University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
11. Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA
12. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
13. Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA
14. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
15. Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA

# # #