Our Impact
We’re celebrating 15 years of impact since our launch—and there’s a lot to show for it. Explore our top accomplishments in the timeline, video and our Annual Report below.
See how our resources are impacting the scientific community and see how the patients with immune-related disorders are inspiring our research.
History and Accomplishments at-a-glance:
15 Years of Impact at the Allen Institute
2018 Annual Report: 15 Years of Impact
The Allen Institute was founded in 2003 to tackle hard problems in brain science. We recently celebrated 15 years since our launch with three divisions, and nearly 500 employees from 34 different scientific disciplines.
Our Impact in Action
Open Science is one of our founding credos: sharing all our data and tools with the world. See how this model has accelerated discovery in the broader scientific community and see how patients with immune-related diseases are inspiring our research in our original series, Cell Shorts, Data Stories, and Out of Balance.
Cell Shorts
See how our predictive models of human cells and stem cell lines are accelerating research in the cell biology and biomedical research community.
News
Cell Shorts | Bringing cell science resources to the classroom
July 12, 2019
Biology textbook pictures of cells can be misinterpreted or misleading. These three biology teachers are using real pictures and data of human cells to help their students learn.
Video
Cell Shorts | Accelerating degenerative eye disease therapies
June 25, 2019
See how Kapil Bharti from the National Eye Institute is working to find new therapies for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with the help of the Allen Cell Collection.
News
New VR game lets you learn about cells by tossing them
February 19, 2019
The app, now on display at Pacific Science Center, teaches users the stages of cell division through interactions with 3D models of human cells
Video
Data Stories | Addiction & the visual system
May 1, 2019
See how researcher Randy Ellis uses the Allen Brain Observatory dataset as he works to find new ways to treat drug addiction.
News
Data Stories | A tiny brain structure with an outsized role in neurological disorders
February 8, 2019
Neuroscientist Emily Sylwestrak’s studies of the habenula could one day shed light on the biology of addiction. It all began with a chance observation she made sifting through data from the Allen Institute.
Video
Data Stories | Coding the visual world
October 11, 2018
See how Stanford electrical engineering student Amy Christensen used data from the Allen Brain Observatory to study how visual information is coded by the brain.
Video
Out of Balance | Linda's life with RA
May 16, 2019
In our new series Out of Balance, see how rheumatoid arthritis patient Linda Sloate has persevered through countless surgeries and therapies, and what she hopes scientists at the Allen Institute for Immunology can accomplish.
News
Out of Balance | Alyssa’s life with Crohn’s disease
May 14, 2019
Medical student Alyssa Clements bounced from doctor to doctor for her mysterious pain before she was finally diagnosed. One doctor even told her she’d never be a physician.
News
Out of Balance | Tom Bumol’s life after lymphoma
February 26, 2019
What happens when an immunologist gets a life-threatening, immune-related disease? In Bumol’s case, he doubles down on his research.