Karen E. Nelson | |
|---|---|
 Dr. Karen E. Nelson, Chief Science Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific | |
| Born | Jamaica |
| Alma mater | University of the West Indies Cornell University |
| Known for | Human microbiome |
| Website | Thermo Fisher Scientific |
Karen Nelson is a Jamaican-born American microbiologist (specializing in human microbiome research) who was formerly president of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI).[1] On July 6, 2021 she joined Thermo Fisher Scientific as Chief Scientific Officer.
Nelson studied her undergraduate degree at the University of the West Indies and earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University.[2]
Nelson is a prominent expert in microbial genomics and metagenomics, with applications to human health.[3] She is noted for her research on Thermotoga maritima at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) which resulted in the publication[4] of the genome of that bacterium, and which demonstrated the existence of horizontal gene transfer.[5][6] Nelson is also known for her work in human microbiome research[7] and her current research focuses on interactions between human microbiome and various diseases. Her extensive expertise involves areas of microbial ecology, microbial genomics, microbial physiology and metagenomics, which led to her team publishing the first human microbiome study in 2006.[8]
Nelson was appointed president of JCVI in 2012 after serving as the director of its Rockville Campus since 2010.[9] Prior to being appointed President, she held a number of other positions at the Institute, including Director of JCVI's Rockville Campus, and Director of Human Microbiology and Metagenomics in the Department of Human Genomic Medicine at JCVI.[2]
She has authored or co-authored over 200 peer reviewed publications, edited three books, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Microbial Ecology and the newly announced PNAS Nexus.[10] Scientific American named Nelson as one of biotechnology's "leading lights" in its 2015 "The Worldview 100."[11]
