Battelle announced that DARPA executive Dr. Justin Sanchez is joining the company as a technical fellow.
Sanchez, who is a neurotechnology expert and director of the biological technologies office at DARPA, is the second technical fellow at the company. He will work alongside Dr. Amy Heintz who is an expert in advanced materials.
Technical fellows at Battelle are scientists and engineers who operate at the general management level and serve on the leadership team. They lead the organization’s overall technical investment strategies while collaborating across Battelle and government, industry and academia.
“We’re very pleased that Dr. Sanchez will be joining Battelle to lead scientific advancement across our broad portfolio of life science offerings in medical devices, pharmaceutical research, biosecurity and public health,” Matt Vaughan, president of Battelle’s contract research business. “Justin’s long list of achievements, and the respect he commands in both government and industry, cannot be overstated. His vision, drive and willingness to take risks will be instrumental in accelerating innovation and building partnerships that accelerate our contribution to the next generation of transformative technologies that advance national security, human health and well-being.”
Most recently at DARPA, Sanchez was responsible for developing biological technologies and capabilities for national security including neurotechnology, gene editing/synthetic biology and infectious disease. He also led strategy development as the organization’s director of biological technologies and was responsible for helping the office develop 31 new DARPA programs and investing more than $1.65 million in national labs, industry and academic institutions.
“I am thrilled to be joining Battelle, an organization that has a one-of-a-kind mix deep scientific expertise, market leadership and philanthropy to help those in need,” Sanchez said. “Battelle’s potential for growth is a unique product of its fundamental understanding of some of the most disruptive scientific fields, and the practical skills to bring breakthroughs to market rapidly. From idea to prototype to product, Battelle brings all of the engineering, productization and commercialization capabilities together under one roof. Combined with an open partnership model, these assets provide an amazing platform for growth.
Sanchez is slated to begin work at Battelle in late June this year after he finishes his duties at DARPA.
“Biological technologies are opening the door to transformative solutions that will impact human health, national security and industries of the future,” said Sanchez. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to provide technical leadership, strategic direction and deep expertise in this fascinating area of science, which has the potential to improve the lives of so many.”
