Colleen McMichael, Ph.D.

Colleen McMichael, Ph.D. has extensive experience in the field of molecular biology and biochemistry. Colleen started their career as a Senior Laboratory Technician at DuPont from June 1999 to July 2002. Colleen then pursued a Ph.D., during which they worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from September 2002 to December 2011. In this role, they studied the role of specific proteins in plant cytokinesis and cell expansion. Colleen continued their research as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the same lab from January 2012 to December 2013.

After their postdoctoral work, they joined Penn State University as a Postdoctoral Researcher from January 2014 to August 2014, where they focused on transgenic poplar and black walnut somatic embryogenesis. Colleen then worked as the Head Research Scientist and Principal Investigator at LignoLink, Inc. from September 2014 to May 2017. Here, they engineered and analyzed lignin-altered plants and trained and supervised support staff.

Colleen then joined Penn State University again as a Schatz Visiting Scholar from May 2017 to May 2018. During this time, they implemented a field trial of transgenic poplar and initiated black walnut somatic embryogenesis. Colleen also worked as a Consultant in Plant Science at Aleo BME, a biotechnology start-up, from September 2017 to June 2018.

Colleen continued their career at Biorealize as a Client Communication and Sample Processing Specialist from April 2020 to September 2020. Colleen then joined Biomeme, Inc. as a Senior Molecular Biologist from September 2020 to January 2022, where they focused on various projects related to molecular biology. Colleen then progressed to the role of Senior Scientist I from January 2022 to May 2022 and subsequently Senior Scientist II from May 2022 to March 2023.

Currently, they are employed at Napigen, Inc. as a Senior Research Scientist from April 2023. Overall, Colleen McMichael has a strong background in molecular biology, genetics, and plant science, with experience in various positions within academic, industry, and start-up settings.

Colleen McMichael, Ph.D. obtained their High School Diploma in General studies from Concord High School in 1994. Colleen then pursued a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology at Purdue University from 1994 to 1999, with a focus on Genetics, Plant Physiology, and Molecular Biology. In 2002, they began their doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry & Cell Biology in 2011. Their research during this time also encompassed the field of Cellular and Molecular Biology.