The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was launched in 2004 with the visionary philanthropic investment of Eli and Edythe Broad, who joined with leaders at Harvard and its affiliated hospitals, MIT, and the Whitehead Institute to pioneer a "new model” of collaborative science that would transform medicine. A unique scientific community of diverse talents but singular purpose, the Broad Institute brings together world-class faculty, professional staff, and students from throughout the MIT and Harvard communities and beyond, empowering them to work together to identify and overcome the most critical obstacles to realizing the full promise of genomic medicine. The Broad Institute is organized around scientific programs and platforms, bringing together biology- and technology-focused scientists to jointly build, apply, and share with scientists worldwide the cutting-edge tools and knowledge needed to revolutionize medical knowledge and practice.