Wistar Institute Opens New HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center in Philadelphia’s University City

Philadelphia, PA – June 2, 2025

In a bold move that signals both scientific ambition and community commitment, The Wistar Institute officially opened its new HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center this week in Philadelphia’s University City. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked not just the launch of a world-class research hub, but also a historic first: it’s the Institute’s first expansion beyond its original campus since its founding in 1892.

Located at 3675 Market Street, the state-of-the-art 25,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to accelerating the path to an HIV cure and developing strategies to combat emerging viral diseases.

Under the leadership of Dr. Luis J. Montaner, Executive Vice President and Director of the new Center, the team will focus on achieving long-term remission and functional cures—moving beyond managing HIV as a chronic illness to actually eradicating it. A globally recognized immunologist and virologist, Dr. Montaner has led groundbreaking HIV research for more than two decades. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal AIDS, Deputy Editor of Journal of Immunology and is Principal Investigator of the BEAT-HIV Martin Delaney Collaboratory, a leading NIH-funded program focused on HIV cure research. His work has helped define how immune-based approaches and community-engaged trials can reshape how the world addresses chronic viral infections. 

“I am confident we will advance toward an HIV cure in my lifetime, and I am honored to have the privilege of leading this bold expansion of The Wistar Institute,” said Dr. Montaner. “The HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center builds on Wistar’s history of strength in virology, our international collaborative networks, and our partnerships with industry and communities of persons living with HIV. With the launch of this Center, Wistar makes a clear and bold statement to the world that the time to get us to an HIV cure is now.”

A Cure-Directed Mission Anchored in Community Engagement

The Center’s research strategy zeroes in on three ambitious priorities: identifying and eliminating hidden viral reservoirs that allow HIV to persist despite treatment; enhancing immune system responses to suppress or eliminate the virus; and achieving durable post-treatment control—where individuals can safely remain off antiretroviral therapy without experiencing viral rebound. These efforts represent a shift from managing HIV as a lifelong condition to pursuing an actual cure, with the ultimate goal of eradicating the virus from the body.

But the Center’s mission extends well beyond the laboratory. Wistar has embedded equity at the heart of its strategy, intentionally designing the Center to work hand-in-hand with community-based organizations, public health leaders, clinical networks, and international collaborators. By co-creating research with the very communities most affected by HIV—including underserved and historically marginalized populations, as well as prosperous—the Center aims to ensure that its breakthroughs are not only scientifically sound, but also socially and ethically responsible.

This inclusive and community-engaged approach acknowledges a fundamental truth: science alone won’t cure HIV. Trust, transparency, and access are equally essential. By building these values into the foundation of the Center, Wistar is working to transform not just outcomes, but the process of discovery itself.

Wistar’s First Expansion Beyond Its Historic Campus

The new Center is a landmark development for The Wistar Institute—not only because of its scientific potential, but because it represents the first time the Institute has expanded beyond its original, historic campus in West Philadelphia.

Founded in 1892, The Wistar Institute is the nation’s first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute. It has been a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center since 1972 and is internationally known for pioneering vaccine research and advancing cancer and immunology breakthroughs.

Over the years, Wistar researchers have contributed to the development of critical vaccines, including rubella and rabies, and played major roles in pandemic preparedness. Their mission has always been to move discoveries from bench to bedside—and now, with this expansion into University City, they’re bringing that mission into a new era and space.

 were Dr. Dario C. Altieri, Wistar President and CEO, who emphasized the strategic importance of the new Center to Wistar’s broader vision; Rick Horowitz , Chair of Wistar’s Board of Trustees, who lauded the Center as “a critical leap forward in advancing science that changes lives”; and Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, Health Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, who underscored the Center’s alignment with citywide public health priorities and its role in addressing longstanding disparities in care.

uCity Square: A Thriving Innovation Ecosystem

The new HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center at 3675 Market Street sits at the heart of uCity Square, a thriving 6.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in University City that is rapidly becoming one of the nation's premier hubs for life sciences, healthcare innovation, and inclusive economic growth.

More than just a collection of buildings, uCity Square is a purpose-built knowledge community—a vibrant, walkable district designed to foster connectivity between academic research, entrepreneurial ventures, clinical care, and community resources. With more than 200 companies spanning biotech, digital health, medical devices, and data science, the ecosystem thrives on collaboration, diversity, and translational science that gets discoveries out of the lab and into the world.

The district’s evolution has been driven by the University City Science Center, which has catalyzed innovation in Philadelphia since its founding in 1963. In 2015, the Science Center entered a strategic partnership with Wexford Science + Technology to reimagine the campus for the future—transforming underutilized parcels into a dynamic innovation corridor. Wexford’s expertise in building thriving knowledge communities has shaped uCity Square into a destination for research institutions, startups, and global firms alike. That momentum has been further accelerated through Wexford’s partnership with Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR), a leading real estate investment trust focused on university-based research and innovation hubs across the U.S.

Today, uCity Square is more than real estate—it’s a mission-aligned ecosystem that bridges neighborhoods, supports equitable workforce development, and advances breakthrough science. Anchored by leading institutions such as Drexel University, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, CIC, and now The Wistar Institute’s HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center, uCity Square is both a local resource and a global player.

The building at 3675 Market Street—where Wistar’s new Center resides—is a 14-story, LEED Gold-certified facility with state-of-the-art lab and office space, shared conference areas, and gathering spaces designed to spark interdisciplinary collaboration. It sits at the intersection of academic campuses, medical institutions, and public transit, making it both physically and symbolically central to Philadelphia’s innovation economy.

By situating the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center at uCity Square, Wistar is embedding itself deeper into the connective tissue of Philadelphia’s life sciences boom—positioning its research to benefit not only from cutting-edge infrastructure, but also from the community, talent, and momentum that make uCity Square a powerful engine of discovery and change.

Advancing Philadelphia’s Global Role in Life Sciences

The HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center strengthens Philadelphia’s status as a global hub for biomedical innovation. Strategically located in the heart of the city’s fast-growing life sciences corridor, the Center not only deepens Wistar’s impact but also symbolizes Philadelphia’s rising prominence in the biotech world.

With the backdrop of shifting federal funding and ongoing global health threats, Wistar’s investment in this new Center stands as a reaffirmation of its long-term vision: science that serves people, cures disease, and transforms lives.