Merck Research Laboratories Boston opened in October 2004 in the heart of Boston's world renowned Longwood Medical Area. The 12 story glass high-rise sits nestled on the Emmanuel College Campus between the Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital. It employs more than 300 scientists conducting research in cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

The strategic plan for Merck Research Laboratories Boston was founded on the premise that the Boston-Cambridge life-sciences cluster, with over 50,000 life sciences employees, presents a unique environment for drug-discovery research, says Lex Van der Ploeg, site head MRL Boston. In addition, the creation of a new laboratory from the ground up has enabled MRL to develop and implement optimized processes and design. MRL Boston has leveraged these to achieve key scientific program deliverables in the short time that the site has been open.

The background of the scientist working at MRL Boston mirrors the environment within which the site sits. Only a small proportion of its initial employees were recruited from other Merck Research sites to join MRL Boston. While these employees helped "seed" the site and provide an understanding of Merck's practices and policies, about 90% of the researchers were recruited to Merck from academic laboratories, hospitals, and biotech and other pharma companies. This mix of researchers has brought a diversity of scientific thought and expertise as well as a network of local connections that enables Boston to aggressively pursue its research, outreach and talent management goals.

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