Scripps Research Institute was founded in 1961 by a small group of immunopathologists at La Jolla, California. It is a private, non-profit research organization. The Institute has become internationally recognized for its basic research into immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, virology and synthetic vaccine development. Doctoral Programs are offered in Chemical and Biological Sciences (at Florida and California). Scientific Departments offer programs in the fields of Cancer Biology, Infectology, Genetics, Immunology and Microbial Science and Molecular Biology among others.