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Onsite Exhibits Gallery

For more information about the physical location of the exhibits listed on this page, please visit the Exhibit Maps page.


  • Christian Boehmer Anfinsen

    Christian Anfinsen: Protein Folding and the Nobel Prize

    How are proteins made? How do they fold and what role does structure play in their function? Chris Anfinsen's investigations answered these questions; they also led to a Nobel Prize.

    Building 10

  • Photo of Michael Potter in his lab

    Michael Potter: The Work of Michael Potter

    Michael Potter investigated the twin questions of what causes cancer and how we produce the antibodies called immunoglobulins which protect us from disease.

    Building 10

  • Marshall Nirenberg

    Marshall Nirenberg: Deciphering the Genetic Code

    Explore the Nobel Prize-winning work of Marshall Nirenberg, who deciphered the genetic code with the help of NIH colleagues, enabling genetics to become a central scientific field.

    Building 10

  • Photograph of Earl and Thressa Stadtman

    The Stadtman Way: A Tale of Two Biochemists at NIH

    The scientific power couple of Thressa and Earl Stadtman developed a unique way to train scientists; they each made significant scientific contributions too.

    Building 10

  • Photograph of Santiago Ramón y Cajal sitting at his drawing table with a microscope printed large on exhibit

    Santiago Ramón y Cajal: The Beginnings of Modern Neuroscience

    Learn about the first person to describe the nervous system, including intricate neurons, in exquisite and artistic detail was Santiago Ramón y Cajal.

    Building 35

  • Joseph Goldberger & the War on Pellagra

    Dr. Joseph Goldberger discovered the cause of pellagra, a disease that killed many poor Southerners in the early part of the 20th century.  His finding, that pellagra was caused by a diet deficient in vitamin B, was met by political and social resistance.

    Building 1

  • Ruth Kirschstein

    Ruth Kirschstein was a rigorous scientist, generous mentor, and talented administrator as well as the first female institute director at the NIH.

    Building 40

  • Margaret Pittman

    Margaret Pittman arrived at NIH in 1936, beginning a career that would span 57 years and make her an internationally renowned expert on vaccines and serums, as well as the first female laboratory chief at the NIH.

    Building 60

  • Cray X-MP/22 Computer

    NIH's first supercomputer, the Cray X-MP/22, was the world's fastest supercomputer from 1983-1986, and the first one devoted solely to biomedical research. Both the physical and virtual exhibits are under development, but you can still see the Cray at its exhibit site located in Building 50.

    Building 31

  • Image of an electron microscope on display in the Building 60 lobby

    Siemens 1-A Electron Microscope

    All sorts of viruses were visualized for the first time on this Siemens 1-A Electron Microscope used by Albert Kapikian.

    Building 50

  • Image of the Varian a-60 microscope on display in the building 60 lobby

    Varian A-60 NMR

    The Varian A-60 NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectrometer was the first low-cost instrument of its kind, producing a magnetic resonance image (MRI) that NIH scientists used to study topics such as how the brain develops as children grow.

    Building 50

  • A woman is standing in front of the exhibit titled Rehabilitation with Bioengineering, which displays prosthetic devices, images and text

    NIBIB: Improving Health Through Emerging Technologies

    Learn about cutting-edge research, funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, in a historical context. 

    Building 31
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