By deepening our understanding of life today, we create the potential to save lives tomorrow. At the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, we reveal the fundamental principles of biology and transform that knowledge into innovative ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. Learn more about our research and how to join us in making a difference below.
Foundational research is where cures begin. Discoveries resulting from studying the fundamental processes of life frequently prove to be major milestones toward novel therapies and treatments.
World-class equipment and collaborative partnerships. Our researchers work side-by-side with experts in our Technology Centers. The unique model has catapulted the Institute to the forefront of innovative science.
Built on the cornerstone of imagination, a bold and far-reaching approach to foundational research sets the stage for transforming biological insights into new ways to alleviate disease and improve human health.
You can help transform the Institute’s future and accelerate our researchers’ life-changing contributions to human health. This support is an investment in tomorrow's cures that will pay dividends in improved health and well-being for all of humankind for decades to come.
Join our community through any gift large or small.
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Spent on research
500
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10
Acre campus
150
Ongoing research programs
#Stowers25
Thanks to our unique funding model through American Century Investments where more than 40% of the firms annual dividends support our research, our scientists are provided a long runway to tackle biology's most bold and risky questions.
As we reach a quarter century milestone, the Institute looks toward the next 25 years of advancing curiosity-driven discovery.
Watch the video to see how our approach sets us apart.
Many thought that creating a prominent scientific center in the Midwest was impossible. That’s because most foundational research institutions are located on America’s East and West coasts in direct affiliation with top-tier universities. The Stowers’ gambled despite skepticism — a grand experiment that worked. Learn more at the link below.
Why the future of biology depends on widening our lens, embracing joy in discovery, and daring to ask the biggest questions. President and Chief Scientific Officer, Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, looks toward the next 25 years of discovery.
Research to benefit humanity
At the Stowers Institute, we seek bold, visionary scientists driven to tackle biology’s most complex and unsolved challenges.
Human conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cardiac disease, and birth defects may seem unrelated, yet all arise from disruptions in the same fundamental cellular and molecular processes.
Our scientists work to uncover how life functions at its most basic levels — knowledge that lays the groundwork for tomorrow’s breakthroughs in health and medicine.
#Stowers25: Celebrating 25 Years
28 October 2025
Jim and Virginia Stowers envisioned a world-class research institute in Kansas City with a mission to unravel the secrets of life. Making their mission a reality required a deliberate commitment to hire the brightest scientists and invest heavily in technology to support innovation.
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News
27 March 2024
The apple snail offers a way to study development and regeneration, providing insight to understand aspects of our own biology, and may one day help identify opportunities to induce regenerative capabilities in humans.
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Press Release
23 September 2025
Robertsonian chromosomes are associated with infertility and Down syndrome, now cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology has unveiled the first comprehensive picture of their genetic rearrangements.
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News
26 October 2023
By coaxing out the secrets underlying (un)ordinary biological feats of research organisms—like whole-body regeneration in the case of planarian flatworms—Stowers scientists are investigating how life works at its most fundamental level to ultimately understand human health and find treatments for diseases.
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