The Jackson Laboratory has welcomed Dr. Mary Dickinson, a geneticist, developmental biologist, and bioengineer, to its leadership team as the inaugural Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. 

In her new role, Dr. Dickinson will spearhead JAX's research endeavors, directing scientific strategy and operations to leverage the institution's unique strengths in genetics and genomics.

Dr. Lon Cardon, President and CEO of JAX, expressed confidence in Dr. Dickinson's appointment, stating, "I'm exceedingly confident that Mary's broad leadership experience supporting basic science, translational research, innovation, and commercialization at a premier medical school will help take JAX to new heights. With this critical appointment of our chief scientific officer, our team is well-poised to lead major advances on our strategic plan and research priorities in 2024 and beyond."

Dr. Dickinson's association with JAX is deeply rooted in her lifelong immersion in the genetics community and extensive collaboration with JAX faculty and researchers. Renowned for her groundbreaking research utilizing mice to study cardiovascular disease, particularly congenital birth defects, Dr. Dickinson shares JAX's mission to enhance human health and has been an advocate for rare disease research.

Reflecting on her new role, Dr. Dickinson remarked, "JAX has long been known as a world leader in research innovation, genetic mechanisms, and models for disease. JAX is far and away distinct from so many institutions in this space, but at the same time integrated within the biomedical community in a way that's really unique for an organization, bridging these communities and advancing precise genomic solutions for disease treatments and cures worldwide."

With a global perspective, Dr. Dickinson acknowledges the role JAX plays in empowering the biomedical community to accelerate discoveries for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and addiction. "JAX wants to help people make a difference for as many people as possible, from those in rural Maine to Tokyo," she emphasized. 

Prior to joining JAX, Dr. Dickinson served as the Senior Vice President and Dean of Research at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), where she played a pivotal role in advancing the institution's research mission. Under her leadership, Baylor achieved significant growth in sponsored awards, reaching nearly USD 700 million in awards in 2023. Additionally, Dr. Dickinson served as the co-principal investigator of the NIH-funded Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program (KOMP), collaborating with institutions such as JAX to drive advancements in imaging technology and organ development research.

Dr. Dickinson's career spans institutions such as Vanderbilt University, Columbia University, and the California Institute of Technology. She has authored over 150 manuscripts, holds several patents and disclosures for new microscope technologies, and has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to the field of genetics and bioengineering.

Most recently, Dr. Dickinson was honored with the lifetime distinction of being elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.