Inside the Lab Where Scientists Are Rewriting the Future of Immune Disease Treatment

The Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) in Seattle is on a mission to predict, prevent, reverse, and cure immune system diseases by studying how the immune system works in both healthy people and those with disease. With about 300 scientists on staff—including some of the world's foremost immunologists—BRI is actively recruiting new investigators and researchers to join their collaborative effort to understand and rebalance the immune system back to health.

What Makes This Research Institute Different?

BRI stands out because of its unique approach to immunology research. Rather than studying immune diseases in isolation, the institute examines the immune system as a whole, looking at everything from autoimmune disease to cancer to asthma and allergies. The team uses innovative tools and maintains robust biorepositories—essentially biological sample banks—that contain healthy controls and samples from people with multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The institute is equipped with state-of-the-art resources that help scientists push the boundaries of what's possible in immunology research:

• Biorepositories: Nine robust sample collections from healthy individuals and patients across multiple immune-related diseases, providing researchers with essential biological materials for study.
• Core Labs: Four specialized laboratories led by experts in tetramer analysis, cell and tissue analysis, and human immunophenotyping—technical approaches that help scientists understand how immune cells function.
• Centers of Discovery: Research centers that bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications, ensuring that bench science translates into real treatments for patients.

How Does Collaboration Drive Breakthroughs?

One of BRI's defining characteristics is its emphasis on collaboration across disciplines and institutions. Scientists at BRI work together across fundamental research (understanding basic immune biology), translational research (moving discoveries toward treatments), and clinical research (testing new therapies in patients). The institute also partners with clinicians at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to run clinical trials, collect patient samples, and use real-world clinical insights to guide research questions.

Beyond internal collaboration, BRI scientists work with researchers from across the globe and other Seattle institutions, including the University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Allen Institute, and Seattle Children's Research Institute. This network approach means that breakthroughs in one lab can quickly inform work in another, accelerating the pace of discovery.

"When I was looking for the next step in my career, my goal was to be closer to patients and clinical research. I had heard of BRI and thought a postdoc here would be a great way to do that. I've already learned so much and seen how translational the work is," said one postdoctoral researcher at the institute, highlighting how the collaborative environment attracts talented scientists eager to make a real-world impact.

What Research Areas Are They Focusing On?

BRI is currently seeking outstanding investigators for new faculty positions at the assistant and associate member levels. The institute is particularly interested in researchers who use innovative experimental and computational approaches to study immune system function in health and disease, with special emphasis on autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

Priority research areas include:

• B Cell Biology: Understanding how B cells—immune cells that produce antibodies—function and malfunction in disease states.
• Tissue Immunity: Studying how immune responses work in specific tissues throughout the body, not just in the bloodstream.
• Innate Immunity: Investigating the body's first-line defense mechanisms that don't require prior exposure to a pathogen.
• Systems Immunology: Using computational and data-driven approaches to understand how different immune components work together as an integrated system.
• Stromal-Immune Interactions: Examining how structural cells in tissues communicate with and influence immune cells.

Why Should You Care About This Research?

The work happening at BRI has direct implications for millions of people living with autoimmune diseases, cancer, asthma, and allergies. By understanding how the immune system goes wrong—and how to rebalance it—researchers at BRI are laying the groundwork for new treatments and potentially cures. The institute's commitment to translational research means that discoveries made in the lab have a clear pathway to becoming therapies that patients can actually use.

The institute is also committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of scientists. BRI provides undergraduate internships, mentors graduate students, and engages postdoctoral trainees from around the world, ensuring that the future of immunology research remains vibrant and innovative.