“The Stowers Institute has grown from an idea to one of the greatest places to do research in the world,” said Eric Olson, Ph.D., Chairman of the Stowers Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and Chair of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “I can't think of any other place that was started in, arguably, the middle of nowhere, and grew into an organization of this stature.”

There have been distinct drivers for such success. First, American Century Investments (ACI), the asset management firm founded by Jim Stowers in 1958, became globally prosperous. At the same time, Jim and Virginia emerged from personal experiences of cancer with a clear vision to invest their fortune toward science that could cure disease. They gave ownership of ACI to the Stowers Institute, ensuring a steady funding source for sustained scientific research. Another factor Olson described was the vision to have unparalleled Technology Centers that enable and accelerate the explorations of Stowers scientists.

“The Institute is an amazing place where we are supported with long-term funding to pursue questions of curiosity,” said Investigator and Dean of the Stowers Graduate School Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D. “When I started my lab, we were really focused on yeast as a research organism, and we learned a lot. But having access to consistent funding and cutting-edge technology has allowed us to make leaps into work with other organisms that may not otherwise have been possible.”

Stowers President and Chief Scientific Officer Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., often says that answers to fundamental questions of biology can be found by turning to nature. Consequently, each of the several dozen research organisms residing at the Institute was carefully chosen based on their ability to solve specific biological questions. From traditional organisms like fruit flies and yeast to the more exotic including apple snails, sea anemones, and even tropical reef-building coral, these diverse species are aiding our understanding of life’s secrets.

“I’m not only proud of the Institute but sometimes even envious,” said Stowers SAB board member and Director of the Whitehead Institute Ruth Lehmann, Ph.D. “Here, if you want to study a new animal, we build you an aquarium or whatever you need. You don't have that anywhere else.”

And its location — the Midwest — rather than being a hindrance lends a pioneering spirit. Scientists who forgo the coasts for the Stowers Institute are bold, self-confident, and fearless leaders who bring energy and enthusiasm to create an atmosphere of cooperation, collegiality, and collaboration.

“Most scientists work in the esthetic equivalent of a bowling alley. Instead, the Stowers’ created a five-star research resort,” said SAB board member and Professor of Genomics at Princeton University Michael Levine, Ph.D. “But success depended on the caliber of the scientists the Institute attracted — not just the Principal Investigators but also whom they brought in as students and postdocs and associates.”

Sánchez Alvarado further explained, “It is said that institutions grow and fall by the individuals who become its members. Those institutions that withstand the tests of time essentially follow a single thread, which is to empower their scientists to achieve their very best. The Stowers Institute provides an opportunity for our scientists to follow questions of substance and empowers their success, which will enable us to not only transcend time but to shape the future of science itself.”

The Stowers’ chose to follow their instincts to build a beacon of discovery and innovation in Kansas City. They also chose to invest heavily in technology and to hire the very best scientists. Their unique and prescient funding model provides Stowers scientists with freedom — to pursue curiosity and creativity in a collaborative environment, to gain a comprehensive understanding of foundational biology for improving human health and disease, and ultimately to transform science for the betterment of humankind.

“When I think of the Stowers Institute, I think of innovation, curiosity, and courage,” said Lehmann. “It was a real experiment, but it worked.”

Olson said, “I'm gratified to see this incredible success story. To my knowledge, something like this has never been done before.”

Discovery, innovation, and hope distinguished the Institute’s first 25 years and will define the next. As our founders were fond of saying, “The best is yet to be.”