Martina Newell-McGloughlin, an internationally recognized authority on biotechnology and its social implications, directs the UC Systemwide Biotechnology Research and Education Program. Prior to taking up this position she was director of the UC Systemwide Life Sciences Informatics Program and the UC Davis Biotechnology Program. Among her qualifications are an encyclopedic knowledge of biotechnology research in academia and industry; experience in developing biotechnology training and education programs; and experience in managing grants programs.
She has published numerous papers, articles, book chapters, two books on biotechnology, edited two and has a third in progress. Her personal research experience has been in the areas of disease resistance in plants, scale-up stability for industrial and pharmaceutical production in microbes and microbiological mining. She speaks frequently before scientific and other associations, testifies before legislative bodies, and often gives news media interviews. The UC Davis Academic Federation selected her to receive its 2001 James H. Meyer Distinguished Achievement Award. She has a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree from the National University of Ireland.
Newell-McGloughlin has extensive experience in the biotechnology arena. For the past 14 years, she has worked with UC Davis Biotechnology Program and has been largely responsible for the program’s development and success. She previously worked for the government and in the public and private sector. She has experience in program management and in interacting with researchers and administrators in both the private sector and academia, as well as with public policy makers. She has been instrumental in facilitating collaborations between scientists on campus and in industry and was involved with the dissemination of information and the development of Life Sciences Informatics (LSI) and BioSTAR efforts on the Davis campus.