July 5, 2012
Jennifer E. Fox, Ph.D., has accepted the position of interim director of OTRADI, the organization that has successfully helped commercialize therapeutics that combat infectious and other diseases through collaboration with Oregon universities and industry. Dr. Fox was formerly assistant director of OTRADI since it was founded in 2007.
“We are pleased that Jennifer Fox has agreed to be interim director of OTRADI,” said Robert Jordan, Ph.D., chair of the OTRADI Board of Directors. “She has been with the organization from its inception and has worked with diligence and passion to support OTRADI’s mission. Her years of leadership with the organization and exceptional talents will provide a steady hand that will guide us as we move forward with many new opportunities for growth in the coming years.”
Dr. Fox trained in molecular and cellular biology and has 20 years of laboratory research experience. Prior to joining OTRADI, she was a postdoctoral research scientist at the University of Oregon, where she worked on the problem of drug resistance in breast cancer. For her accomplishments in this area, she received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. Dr. Fox also received a postdoctoral research fellowship at Northwestern University in the laboratory of Dr. V. Craig Jordan, the pioneer of one of the world’s leading breast cancer drugs, Tamoxifen.
Dr. Fox earned her doctorate in molecular and cellular biology from Tulane University in the environmental endocrinology laboratory of Dr. John A. McLachlan, director of the Tulane-Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research. Her groundbreaking work, published in the journal Nature, exposed previously undiscovered aspects of bacterial signaling networks. She pursued her master’s
degree research work in the laboratory of Dr. Oliver Smithies, a 2007 Nobel laureate and creator of the technique of genetic targeting and knockout mice. Her bachelor’s degree in genetics was earned at the University of Georgia, where her work on the role of genes in bacterial interactions was first published.
“I am thrilled to continue to build a bridge between scientific research and Oregon’s universities and the business community,” Dr. Fox commented. “We continue to work diligently to broaden our commercial ventures, increase our university support and develop a much-needed incubator in order for the bioscience industry to grow and reach the incredible potential it has here in Oregon. That not only helps our state and its economy, but also increases the length and quality of life for people throughout the world. I am very excited to be a part of this.”
Since its launch in 2007, the Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute has been dedicated to broad-based bioscience research, with an emphasis on industry growth and job creation in Oregon. OTRADI achieves these goals through strategic partnerships with businesses and universities to discover, develop, and commercialize drugs, diagnostics, devices, and other bioscience products. OTRADI is partially funded by a legislative allocation to Oregon Innovation Council (Oregon Inc.) which is administered by the Oregon Business Development Department (OECDD). For more information regarding OTRADI, see http://www.otradi.org.