My Investigation into Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research

In my quest to ensure the best educational opportunities for my daughter, I recently embarked on a deep dive into the Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research. Their website, RosettaInstitute.org, promotes summer programs in partnership with prestigious institutions like UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Columbia University, and Imperial College London. Despite the impressive affiliations and promising courses for high school students, my research led me to several concerning findings.

The Lack of a Physical Address

A significant red flag arose when I couldn’t find a physical address linked to the Rosetta Institute. Their website vaguely lists Alameda, California, as their location. However, this general reference didn’t satisfy my need for concrete details. Determined to uncover more, I explored multiple avenues:

Berkeley’s Website Search: A thorough search on Berkeley.edu yielded no relevant results for the Rosetta Institute. Even a Google search specifically targeting Berkeley’s site came up empty.
Google Maps Investigation: The address provided for sending payments in Alameda didn’t show any indication of Rosetta Institute on Google Maps. Street View revealed a nondescript building with a black door—hardly what one would expect from a renowned research institute.

Inconsistent Online Presence

Several student-focused websites list the Rosetta Institute as a summer program option, echoing the same marketing language found on Rosetta’s own site. Despite the widespread promotion, none of these listings provided a physical address. Furthermore, the name Ryan George appeared repeatedly, both on the institute’s website and in email correspondence. However, a deeper dive into Ryan George’s connections revealed some troubling details:

Business Listings: Searches on the California Secretary of State’s website showed three related results, all involving biomedical research, but none confirmed a current, active entity. Additionally, previous businesses under similar names were no longer operational.
Other Businesses at the Same Address: The provided address also housed various unrelated businesses, like flooring companies and pharmacies, but nothing connected to biomedical research.

Questions of Legitimacy

Despite some online presence on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, the lack of a physical address and transparent credentials raised significant doubts:

LinkedIn and Social Media: Ryan George and the Rosetta Institute have profiles on LinkedIn and Twitter. Several individuals list their roles as teaching assistants, and some students note their attendance at the institute’s programs. While this lends some credibility, it doesn’t fully dispel my concerns.
Affiliations with Universities: My investigation suggests that the universities mentioned might only be leasing space to the Rosetta Institute for their summer programs, rather than being true partners in research. This distinction is crucial, as it implies that the Rosetta Institute is more of an educational service provider than a genuine research entity.

Final Decision

Given these findings, I am not comfortable proceeding with the $3,500 payment for a two-week program at the Rosetta Institute. The combination of a vague location, questionable business history, and lack of verifiable credentials makes it too risky. While the program may be legitimate in terms of providing educational experiences, the surrounding uncertainties are too significant to ignore.

I hope this detailed account of my research and findings helps others who are considering the Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research. It’s crucial to thoroughly vet educational programs, especially when they demand substantial financial and personal commitments. Stay informed and prioritize transparency and credibility to ensure the best outcomes for your child’s educational investments.

Disclosure: The above blog was generated using ChatGPT. To see my original notes, see the HTML contents of this page.

URLs

Below are most of the URLs/links of searches and webpages I looked at, during this research.

The address they shared for sending the check, the non-descript builiding, as seen on Google maps Street View: 2177 Harbor Bay Pkwy, Alameda, CA, 94502 https://www.google.com/maps/place/2177+Harbor+Bay+Pkwy,+Alameda,+CA+94502

https://twitter.com/RosettaBio

https://x.com/RosettaBio

https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=Rosetta%20Institute%20of%20Biomedical%20Research&sid=A%40N

https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?keywords=rosetta%20institute&origin=CLUSTER_EXPANSION&page=2&sid=X

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-g-holzer-85111144/

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aberkeley.edu+ryan+holzer

https://www.google.com/search?q=columbia+university+rosetta+institute

https://www.rosettainstitute.org/biomedical-summer-camps/

https://www.rosettainstitute.org/biomedical-summer-camps/curriculum/

https://www.rosettainstitute.org/biomedical-summer-camps/benefits-of-attendance/

https://www.rosettainstitute.org/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenmoon/2023/11/10/10-winter-camps-for-high-school-students/