Innovative Genomics Foundation Board
Dr. Jennifer Doudna
Jennifer Doudna received her Ph.D. in biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology from Harvard University, and the held fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital in molecular biology and at Harvard in genetics. She was also a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Boulder where she worked with Dr. Thomas Cech. Dr. Doudna became an assistant professor at Yale University and later came to the University of California at Berkeley as a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and became a Howard Hughes investigator in 1997. Dr. Doudna co-founded the Innovative Genomics Institute in 2014.
Dr. Doudna’s early work focused on the structure and activity of RNA enzymes, known as ribozymes. At Berkeley, she began her studies into CRISPR/Cas gene editing systems, earning a Nobel prize for these groundbreaking studies in 2020 along with her collaborator Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Dr. Doudna’s current research focus is the discovery of new CRISPR/Cas systems and novel delivery systems.
Dr. Doudna has co-founded several biotechnology companies including Caribou Biosciences, Editas Medicine, Mammoth Biosciences, Intellia Therapeutics, Scribe Therapeutics and others. Dr. Doudna also serves on numerous scientific advisory boards and is the chief scientific advisor for Sixth Street Partners.
Dr. Bradley Ringeisen
Brad Ringeisen received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and moved to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, becoming the head of the Bioenergy and Biofabrication Section. Dr. Ringeisen later moved to DARPA as the Director of the Biological Technologies Office. Dr. Ringeisen’s doctorate was awarded in the field of physics, and he is a pioneer in the field of live cell printing. While at DARPA, his office oversaw projects involved in research into genome editing, epigenetics, neurotechnology, food security and biomanufacturing, as well as diagnostics and therapeutics development.
Dr. Ringeisen is the Executive Director of the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California. Brad’s primary role is to guide IGI’s scientific and development strategy, but his duties also include promoting entrepreneurship, working with biotech investors, donor outreach and development, scientific project development and team building, and engaging with the IGI’s Governance and Scientific Advisory Boards.
Dr. Robert Tjian
Robert Tjian is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California Berkeley. Dr. Tjian became an investigator for the Howard Huges Medical Institute (HHMI) and then became HHMI’s president, stepping down in 2016.
Dr. Tjian’s research centers on the study of the regulation of gene expression in mammalian cells as he and his lab have extensively characterized the proteins that play vital roles in transcription initiation. Dr. Tjian’s work also involves the study of transcription at a single cell level, and the role of gene expression in cell differentiation and stem cell pluripotency.
Dr. Tjian co-founded the company Tularik (later acquired by Amgen in 2006) and has a lifetime membership in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Tjian is a discovery partner for the Column Group, serves as an advisory to the Chan Zuckerberg initiative, and is on the Board of Directors for the Bakar Bioenginuity Hub.