Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI)

About Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI)

The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) is a nonprofit institution whose mission is to engage scientists from academia, government and industry to identify and resolve global health and environmental issues. HESI Vision: Creating science-based solutions for a sustainable, healthier world. HESI Philosophy: HESI 's scientific programs bring together scientists from around the world from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies and other governmental institutions, to address and reach consensus on scientific questions that have the potential to be resolved through creative application of intellectual and financial resources. This “tripartite” approach forms the core of every HESI scientific endeavor. As a non-profit organization, HESI provides a unique, objective forum for initiating dialogue among scientists with different perspectives and expertise. Industry sponsors provide primary financial support for HESI programs, but HESI also receives financial and in-kind support from a variety of U.S. and international government agencies. Quick History: HESI was established in 1989 under the scientific leadership of its inaugural Chair, Dr. Louis Lasagna, often referred to as the “Father of Clinical Pharmacology”. HESI initiated as an environmental and biomedical safety focused global branch of the International Life Sciences Institute. HESI’s first workshop on rodent liver tumors, in 1989, engaged fourteen scientific participants and was supported by a single staffer. As the organization grew in participation and scope, it opted to establish its own governance and programming. In 2002, HESI was recognized by the US Government as an independently-chartered and publicly-supported 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and has continued to grow and flourish in scientific scope and rigor. Today, HESI’s team of 10 scientific staff provide leadership to more than fifty scientific projects and programs that benefit human and environmental health.