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Leadership

The Innovative Genomics Institute is led by a team of exceptional, forward-thinking scientists, including early CRISPR and genome engineering innovators. They draw on in-depth subject matter knowledge and wide-ranging research experience to guide the overall vision of the IGI and direct its new and ongoing programs.

Directorate

The Directorate team provides visionary and strategic leadership, defines the scientific direction of the Institute, and oversees programs and facilities.

Jennifer Doudna, Founder and President, Innovative Genomics Institute, UC Berkeley

Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D.

President & Chair of the IGI Governance Board

Jennifer Doudna is a Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Doudna lab pursues a mechanistic understanding of fundamental biological processes involving RNA molecules.

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Brad Ringeisen Executive Director IGI

Brad Ringeisen, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Brad Ringeisen is a physical chemist with a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a pioneer in the field of live cell printing, and an experienced administrator of scientific research and product development.

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Headshot of Mike Botchan

Mike Botchan, Ph.D.

Deputy Director

Mike Botchan is the Dean of Biological Sciences and a Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. The Botchan lab studies the mechanisms and regulation of DNA replication and gene expression in eukaryotes.

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Bruce Conklin, M.D.

Deputy Director

Bruce Conklin is a Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institute and a Professor of the Departments of Medicine, Ophthalmology, and Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco. The Conklin lab is developing genome surgery methods to treat severe mono-allelic genetic diseases of the retina, motor neurons, and cardiomyocytes.

Headshot of Jill Banfield in a purple shirt

Jill Banfield, Ph.D.

Scientific Director, Microbiology

Jill Banfield is a Professor of Earth and Planetary Science and Environmental Science, Policy, & Management at the University of California, Berkeley with an appointment in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. The Banfield lab studies the inter-organismal and environmental interactions of natural microbial communities using cultivation-independent approaches such as metagenomics and community proteomics.

Headshot of Alexander Marson

Alex Marson, M.D., Ph.D.

Scientific Director, Human Health

Alex Marson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco. The Marson lab uses genome editing to study how different DNA sequences control human T cell function, and applies this knowledge to develop next-generation therapies for cancer as well as infectious and immunological diseases.

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Headshot of Brian Staskawicz

Brian Staskawicz, Ph.D.

Scientific Director, Sustainable Agriculture

Brian Staskawicz is the Maxine J. Elliot Professor of Plant & Microbial Biology at The University of California, Berkeley. The Staskawicz lab studies the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions and applies their discoveries to engineer resistance in crop species.

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Headshot of Fyodor Urnov

Fyodor Urnov, Ph.D.

Scientific Director, Technology & Translation

Fyodor Urnov is a Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on advancing genome editing technology and pushing the boundaries of how it can be applied to solve real-world problems.

Ross WIlson IGI

Ross Wilson, Ph.D.

Scientific Director, Therapeutic Delivery

Ross Wilson is an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is working to enable widespread clinical use of genome editing, which is currently limited by the difficulty in delivering therapeutic enzymes to the cells in need of correction. To address this need, the Wilson lab is engineering CRISPR enzymes to create effective methods of administration that will facilitate targeted delivery to specific cells, tissues, or organs.

IGI Governance Board

The stewardship and oversight of the affairs, business, and effective management of the IGI are the responsibility of the IGI Governance Board, a group of groundbreaking thinkers with broad experience in biological sciences and the leadership of dynamic institutions.

Jennifer Doudna IGI Board Chair

Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D.

Founder and President, Innovative Genomics Institute; Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Chemistry, UC Berkeley. (Board Chair)

Katherine High, M.D.

Katherine High, M.D.

Professor of Pediatrics Emerita, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.

Daniel Lowenstein UCSF

Daniel Lowenstein, M.D.

Professor of Neurology, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, UCSF.

Edward Penhoet UC Berkeley

Edward Penhoet, Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Biological Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley.

Robert Tjian UC Berkeley

Robert Tjian, Ph.D.

Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair in Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

Mike Botchan UC Berkeley

Mike Botchan, Ph.D.

Deputy Director, Innovative Genomics Institute; Dean of Biological Sciences Division, UC Berkeley. (Non-Voting Member)

IGI Scientific Advisory Board

The members of IGI's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) provide external guidance on the scientific direction of the IGI, including input to research programs and projects. They advise the IGI on organizational improvements to support research across all programmatic areas of the IGI.

Jonathan Weissman, Ph.D.

Landon T. Clay Professor of Biology, Whitehead Institute; Professor, Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); HHMI Investigator. (Board Chair)

Rodolphe Barrangou

Rodolphe Barrangou, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Food Science, CRISPR Lab Lead, North Carolina State University.

Maria Jasin

Maria Jasin, Ph.D.

Member and William E. Snee Chair,
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Wendy Goodson

Wendy Goodson, Ph.D.

Branch Chief, Soft Matter Materials Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory.

Zachary Lippman

Zachary Lippman, Ph.D.

Jacob Goldfield Professor of Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

Renee Wegrzyn

Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D.

Vice President, Business Development, Gingko Bioworks.

Eric Olson

Eric Olson, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Biology, and Director, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, UT Southwestern.

Alta Charo

Alta Charo, J.D.

Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin at Madison; Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine.

Dan Voytas

Daniel Voytas, Ph.D.

McKnight Presidential Endowed Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, and Director, Center for Precision Plant Genomics, University of Minnesota.