Marine Biological Laboratory Expands Board of Trustees as It Charts Its Next Chapter as an Independent Institution
Six exceptional new Trustees bring deep expertise in biomedical research, biotechnology, and venture capital to guide the MBL as an independent institution poised to shape scientific discovery for the next century.
WOODS HOLE, Mass. (September 10, 2026) — The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) has expanded its Board of Trustees with the election of six distinguished leaders. The appointments arrive at a catalytic moment for the MBL, which once again became an independent research institution following its disaffiliation from the University of Chicago on July 1, 2026. The expanded Board brings fresh scientific perspectives, strategic and operating insights, and philanthropic support to guide the Laboratory's evolution and ensure its scientific impact and financial sustainability for the next century.
Joining the Board of Trustees are Gary B. Ruvkun, Ph.D., Gary R. Fleisher, M.D., Ronald D. Vale, Ph.D., Michael J. Higgins, Rachel Meyers, Ph.D., and Amir H. Nashat, Sc.D. Collectively, they bring decades of experience advancing scientific discovery, building innovative biotechnology companies, guiding entrepreneurial ventures, and shaping the future of biomedical research.
"The MBL has always advanced science by bringing together people with different perspectives to tackle complex biological challenges," said Nipam Patel, director of the Marine Biological Laboratory. "As we begin this new chapter as an independent institution, these trustees bring the experience, vision, innovation, and leadership that will help us strengthen our scientific mission, expand our impact, and seize new opportunities for the future."
In addition to the election of new Trustees, in July the MBL appointed two new officers along with Nipam H. Patel, MBL Director: Damian N. Desiderio as Chief Financial & Operating Officer The Robert Jeffrey Zimmer Chair for Financial Leadership and Treasurer of the Board, and Alison E. Crawford as Secretary of the Board. Their appointments reflect MBL’s evolving governance and leadership structure.
Trustee Appointments
Gary R. Fleisher, M.D., recently retired as Physician-in-Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital and is the Egan Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. A pioneer in pediatric emergency medicine, Dr. Fleisher co-developed the field’s first academic program in 1979 and has published more than 150 manuscripts advancing the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric infectious diseases. He has served as president of the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Pediatric Society, and as a longtime editor of leading references in the field, including UpToDate Emergency Medicine. Dr. Fleisher has been honored with the Janeway Award for Excellence in Teaching at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award at Harvard Medical School.
Michael J. Higgins is a serial entrepreneur and biopharma executive with more than 30 years of experience building and leading life sciences companies. He served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Voyager Therapeutics, where he completed three major business development deals. He previously spent more than a decade as Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, helping the company grow from a $50 million start-up to a $2 billion commercial organization. Mr. Higgins currently chairs the boards of Voyager Therapeutics, Pulmatrix, and Nocion Therapeutics. He holds a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.
Rachel Meyers, Ph.D., is a scientist and entrepreneur recognized for her leadership in RNA-based therapeutics. From 2003 to 2017, she served as Senior Vice President of Research and RNAi Lead Development at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, advancing therapeutic programs from discovery through clinical development. She later co-founded Faze Medicines, serving as Chief Scientific Officer, and currently serves as a board member of Korro Bio and Travin Bio, a partner at Sunrise Bioventures, and acting Chief Executive Officer of AmyGo Solutions. Dr. Meyers is active in supporting women in science, mentoring young scientists, and serving on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She earned her Ph.D. from MIT and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School.
Amir H. Nashat, Sc.D., is an entrepreneur partner at Polaris Partners’ Boston office, which he joined in 2002, focusing on healthcare investing and portfolio company leadership. He is CEO of Souffle Therapeutics and serves as a director of CAMP4 Therapeutics, Dewpoint Therapeutics, and Paratus Sciences, among numerous other biotechnology companies he has helped guide as a board member or executive. Amir also serves on the Investment Advisory Committee for The Engine at MIT and helped launch the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund. He was named to the Forbes Midas List of “Top 100 Venture Capitalists” in 2016. Amir earned his Sc.D. in Chemical Engineering as a Hertz Fellow at MIT, and his M.S. and B.S. in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Gary B. Ruvkun, Ph.D., is a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and an Investigator in the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Victor Ambros, for the discovery of microRNA, a fundamental mechanism regulating gene activity, and has received many of science’s highest honors, including the Albert Lasker Award, the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, and the Gairdner International Award. Gary’s ties to the MBL run deep: he served as course faculty and co-director of the Biology of Aging course beginning in 1999. He is a co-founder and board member of MarvelBiome and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.
Ronald D. Vale, Ph.D., is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a member of the Whitehead Institute. He previously spent nearly four decades as a professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco, and served as executive director of HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus from 2020 to 2024 before joining MIT in 2025. Vale is known for discovering the motor protein kinesin in 1985 at the Marine Biological Laboratory, and his research on molecular motors, the cytoskeleton, and intracellular signaling has been recognized with the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine, and the Canada Gairdner International Award. He also founded iBiology and The Explorer's Guide to Biology (XBio).
About the Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery—exploring fundamental biology, understanding biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution.
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Media Contact: Samantha Cummis Scummis@mbl.edu 973-800-4119