The Salk Institute conducts its biological research under the guidance of 61 faculty investigators, employing a scientific staff of more than 850, including visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

Major areas of study focus within three areas: Molecular Biology and Genetics; Neurosciences; and Plant Biology. Knowledge acquired in Salk laboratories provides new understanding and potential new therapies and treatments for a range of diseases-from cancer to AIDS, from Alzheimer's disease to cardiovascular disorders, from anomalies of the brain to birth defects. Studies in plant biology at the Salk may one day help improve the quality and quantity of the world's food supply.

With the completion of the Human Genome Project, the Salk Institute is strengthening its existing programs while also moving in exciting new directions. Six key areas represent strategic research priorities: Chemistry and Proteomics; Stem Cell Biology; Cell Biology; Regulatory Biology; Metabolic Research; and Computational and Theoretical Biology.

The Salk Institute consistently ranks among the leading research institutions in the world in objective measures of the contributions of faculty and the impact of their findings. The Institute has trained more than 2,000 scientists, many of whom have gone on to positions of leadership in other prominent research centers worldwide. Five scientists trained at the Institute have won Nobel Prizes, and four current resident faculty members are Nobel Laureates.