Speaker Bio

Karen E. Nelson, Ph.D., joined Thermo Fisher Scientific as Chief Scientific Officer in July 2021. Prior to this role, Dr. Nelson spent a decade as President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (2012–2021), a preeminent nonprofit research organization. Widely recognized as a pioneer in the human microbiome field, she has authored or coauthored more than 220 peer-reviewed publications, edited three books, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Microbial Ecology. Her scientific contributions and leadership have been honored by election to the National Academy of Sciences and by fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology. Dr. Nelson earned her Ph.D. in Animal Science and Microbiology from Cornell University, a Master’s in Animal Science from the University of Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Animal Science from the University of the West Indies. In her role at Thermo Fisher, Dr Nelson is a member of the Company Leadership Team. She oversees the R&D organization which is an approximately $1.4 Billion annual investment with 7400 colleagues. She leads the company scientific strategy to accelerate discoveries and translate advances in science into real-world solutions. In her role as Chief Scientific Officer she also oversees the Thermo Fisher Scientific Advisory Board.