Headquarters Washington, United States | Founded 1956 | |
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Similar Fred Hutchinson Cancer R, Center for Infectious Disease, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle Cancer Care Allia | ||
The Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute (PNDRI) is a private non-profit biomedical and clinical research institute in the northwest United States, located in Seattle, Washington.
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Founded to investigate heart surgery, cancer, and endocrine diseases, its current focus is pioneering basic and clinical research to prevent diabetes, to arrest its development, to block and reduce its complications, and to treat it more effectively.
History
The first such institute in the Pacific Northwest, it was created 61 years ago in 1956 by Dr. William B. Hutchinson as the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation (PNRF). A second-generation physician, founder Hutchinson (1909–1997) was a surgeon and an older brother of major league baseball pitcher and manager Fred Hutchinson, who died of lung cancer at age 45 in 1964.
In 1972, PNRF received federal funding under the National Cancer Act of 1971 with the help of U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson to create in Seattle one of the 15 new cancer centers called for under 1971 Act; the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was founded in 1972 and its building opened 3 years later.
Name
The organization was founded in 1956 as the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation, whose name is still on the exterior of the building In 1997 the organization changed its name to Pacific Northwest Research Institute. In 2008 the organization changed its name to Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute.
Staff
The institute has 85 employees in 6 investigative teams. The current Scientific Director replacing R. Paul Robertson is Dr. William A. Hagopian M.D., Ph.D.
Community involvement
Each year the institute hosts one of the Northwest's most successful wine events featuring one of the largest blind wine tasting games in the Puget Sound area. Boutique wineries from Washington State partner with the institute to make An Evening of Wine feature Washington State's latest varietals.