2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Gladstone Institutes. A lot has changed since Gladstone was established. In 1979, Jimmy Carter was president, and the Berlin Wall separated East and West. The oil crisis had Americans lining up for gasoline. Computers were huge in size and small in memory. The Human Genome Project was not yet a dream. AIDS was unknown. There was no PC or PCR.
From small beginnings as a single cardiovascular research institute housed in modest quarters at San Francisco General Hospital, Gladstone has grown into a thriving scientific research organization that has been described as a “hidden jewel” of the San Francisco Bay Area. Over those 30 years, the world and the process of scientific discovery have changed dramatically, and Gladstone has been at the forefront of changes that have increased our understanding of many of the most challenging medical conditions that face humankind.
One thing that hasn't changed is the foundation of our scientific achievement: an entrepreneurial spirit that invests in high-risk, high-reward science, a small and nimble administrative structure capable of making quick but sound decisions, and careful recruitment of talented scientists who can make a difference.
