< Symposium
25th Anniversary Celebration Symposium
The Stowers Institute for Medical Research hosted its 25th Anniversary Celebration Symposium November 14, 2025, honoring a quarter century of discovery, innovation, and hope.
Nov 142025
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
This special daylong event featured thought-provoking talks, fireside chats, and conversations with leading voices in biological sciences and beyond.
Highlights included:
- Welcome remarks from Stowers Institute President and Chief Scientific Officer Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D., and Chairman of the Stowers Institute and Chairman, CEO & President of American Century Investments Jonathan Thomas.
- Reflections from the Institute’s first Scientific Director Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D.
- Presentations and Panel Discussions from leading scientists in their fields.
- A special talk from Carl Zimmer, award-winning science journalist at The New York Times and best-selling author.
The day of invigorating discussion and celebration concluded with a festive reception in the Stowers Institute Gallery, where we gathered to toast the discoveries yet to come.
Featured Speakers
Agenda
Friday, Nov 14, 2025
| Title | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
Symposium Part 1: Discoveries of the Past | A look back at the scientific breakthroughs and transformative moments from the Institute’s first 25 years, and how an ambitious “experiment that worked” reshaped the way fundamental biology is done. Welcome remarks by: | 10:00- 10:20am |
Reflections from the first Scientific Director | Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D., Stowers Institute | 10:20- 10:35am |
Rooted in symbiosis: Microbes that feed our plants | Siva Sankari, Ph.D., Stowers Institute | 10:30- 10:50am |
TBD | Olivier Pourquié, Ph.D., Harvard University, Stowers Institute (former) | 10:50- 11:10am |
It's in our DNA | Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D., Stowers Institute | 11:10- 11:30am |
Cnidarians: Aliens among us | Matt Gibson, Ph.D., Stowers Institute | 11:30- 11:50am |
Panel Discussion | Speaker fireside chat and audience Q&A moderated by Alex Garruss, Ph.D., Stowers Institute | 11:50- 12:20pm |
Break for afternoon | Attendees can break at 12:30 and return for Part 2. | 12:30pm |
Symposium Part 2: The Future of Biology | Leading voices in science and journalism explore the bold questions that will define the next 25 years of discovery—from regeneration and genetics to evolution and beyond. Welcome remarks by: | 4:00- 4:10pm |
The Physics and Development of Beauty: Structural Colors in Butterflies | Nipam Patel, Ph.D., Marine Biological Laboratory | 4:10- 4:30pm |
The Nature of Societies: cells, insects, humans | Corina Tarnita, Ph.D., Princeton University | 4:30- 4:50pm |
Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe | Carl Zimmer, New York Times | 4:50- 5:10pm |
Unraveling the regulatory genome | Mike Levine, Ph.D., Princeton University | 5:10- 5:30pm |
Panel Discussion | Speaker fireside chat and audience Q&A moderated by Carl Zimmer, New York Times | 5:30- 6:10pm |
Closing remarks | Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer, Investigator, Stowers Institute Video: Celebrating 25 Years | 6:10- 6:15pm |
Festive Reception | An evening celebration in the Stowers Institute Gallery, bringing together scientists, alumni, community members, and friends to honor 25 years of discovery and toast to the future. | 6:15- 8:30pm |
An experiment that worked
In November 2000, the Stowers Institute first opened the doors to its 10-acre campus in Kansas City, Mo. Thanks to the vision of our founders, Jim and Virginia Stowers, and the unique funding model they established between the Institute and American Century Investments, our scientists can openly pursue and discover the secrets of life—transforming scientific discovery and accelerating our understanding of human health and disease.
“This is a fundamental principle that will make the Stowers Institute different,” Jim Stowers said at the Institute’s opening. “The Institute will attract the very best scientists because of the uninterrupted financial support.”
Over the past 25 years, Institute has earned a reputation throughout the Kansas City community and the world as a one-of-a-kind scientific Institute where scientists have the financial and scientific freedom to pursue the boldest, riskiest questions facing biologists today.
