David Baltimore was a Nobel Prize-winning biologist who profoundly influenced modern virology and molecular biology throughout his distinguished career. Born in New York City on March 7, 1938, he earned his B.A. in chemistry from Swarthmore College in 1960 and completed his Ph.D. at Rockefeller University in 1964. He served as President of the California Institute of Technology from 1997 until 2006, holding the position of President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Biology thereafter. Prior to his Caltech presidency, Baltimore held prominent positions at MIT for nearly 30 years, founded and directed the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and served as President of Rockefeller University.
Baltimore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1975 at age 37 for his groundbreaking discovery of reverse transcriptase, which provided evidence for RNA to DNA conversion and revolutionized understanding of retrovirus life cycles including HIV. His seminal research on poliovirus infection mechanisms evolved into investigations of cancer-causing RNA viruses and their ability to permanently alter healthy cells. This work profoundly shaped national science policy on recombinant DNA research and the AIDS epidemic, positioning him as a key scientific advisor during critical public health challenges. Baltimore's contributions to the molecular understanding of immune responses and cancer established foundational knowledge that continues to inform biomedical research today.
As an institutional leader, Baltimore championed diversity at Caltech by increasing women in administrative roles and enhancing undergraduate student life through new support structures. He trained numerous doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom became distinguished researchers in their own right, extending his scientific legacy across generations. Baltimore founded the Whitehead Institute and served as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, demonstrating his commitment to scientific leadership beyond laboratory research. His death on September 6, 2025, marked the passing of one of the most influential biologists of the modern era, whose discoveries in virology, immunology, and cancer research continue to shape scientific understanding and medical approaches worldwide.
