The WashU Medicine-Merck Connection

For the past half-century, a robust pipeline has linked WashU Medicine to Merck, one of the world’s most research-intensive biopharmaceutical companies. From the lab bench to the boardroom, this connection transformed scientific discoveries into treatments for some of the most complex health challenges — ultimately reaching the place they matter most: patients’ bedsides.

The common thread? WashU Medicine-trained physician-scientists at Merck’s helm, combining deep biological insight with a passion for turning science into real-world impact.

WashU Medicine’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) has produced industry leaders who not only practice medicine and conduct research — they help shape a healthy future for people across the globe.

For 35 of the last 50 years, an MSTP alum or former faculty member has been Merck’s top scientific officer and head of Merck Research Laboratories — starting with P. Roy Vagelos, MD, followed by Roger Perlmutter, MD, PhD, and now led by Dean Li, MD, PhD.

Guided by their leadership, lifesaving vaccines, breakthrough cancer therapies and bold initiatives have emerged, reshaping what pharmaceutical companies can achieve for global health.

As Li remarked during a recent MSTP event, “If you get a call from Merck, you need to pick up, because the MSTP is not the Medical Scientist Training Program, it is the Merck Scientist Training Program.”

This academia-to-industry pipeline is built on shared values: a commitment to basic science, scientific rigor and discovery that serves humanity. The Merck connection is more than a legacy — it’s a living example of how WashU Medicine trains our physician-scientists to change the world.