Dr. Ekker is Dean of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Ekker received bachelor of science degrees (Genetics and Developmental Biology, Electrical Engineering) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.’ Dr. Ekker earned a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Ekker has been conducting genome engineering for 30 years. His laboratory has been continuously funded by the NIH for over 20 years and has co-authored over 170 publications. Dr. Ekker has helped found four biotech companies, two non-profits, and is committed to the ‘3B’ idea that translational science in health care is almost always bench-to-business-to-bedside.
Careers in Academia and Industry: Transitions and Challenges
Forming and Maintaining Meaningful Partnerships between Academic Scientists and Corporations