Derek Francis

Derek Francis is currently the EVP, Director of Scientific Services at Cadent, powered by Syneos Health. Previously, Derek held positions at Synapse and the NIH Office of Technology Transfer. Derek has a strong background in biophysics, with a PhD from the Medical College of Wisconsin and a BS in Biochemistry from Minnesota State University. In their postdoctoral work at the National Institutes of Health, Derek focused on the neurotransmitter glutamate in the central nervous system. During their time at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Derek studied visual arrestin and its role in signal transduction. Derek's undergraduate research at Minnesota State University involved characterizing proteins related to plant development and maturation.