Professor Jack A. Gilbert (he/him) earned his Ph.D. from Unilever and Nottingham University, UK in 2002, and received his postdoctoral training at Queens University, Canada. From 2005-2010 he was a senior scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK; and from 2010-2018 he was Group Leader for Microbial Ecology at Argonne National Laboratory, a Professor of Surgery, and Director of The Microbiome Center at University of Chicago. In 2019 he moved to the University of California San Diego, where he is a Professor in Pediatrics and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Associate Vice Chancellor for Marine Science, and Director of both the Microbiome and Metagenomics Center and the Microbiome Core Facility. Dr. Gilbert uses molecular analysis to test fundamental hypotheses in microbial ecology. He cofounded the Earth Microbiome Project and American Gut Project. He has authored more than 450 peer reviewed publications and book chapters on microbial ecology. He is the founding Editor in Chief of mSystems journal. In 2014 he was recognized on Crain’s Business Chicago’s 40 Under 40 List, and in 2015 he was listed as one of the 50 most influential scientists by Business Insider, and in the Brilliant Ten by Popular Scientist. In 2016 he won the Altemeier Prize from the Surgical Infection Society, and the WH Pierce Prize from the Society for Applied Microbiology for research excellence. In 2017 he co-authored “Dirt is Good”, a popular science guide to the microbiome and children’s health. In 2018, he founded BiomeSense Inc. to produce automated microbiome sensors. In 2021 Dr Gilbert became the UCSD PI for the National Institutes of Health’s $175M Nutrition for Precision Health program. In 2023 he became President of Applied Microbiology International, and won the 2023 IFF Microbiome Science Prize. His publications can be found here.

Research profile: jagilbert.scrippsprofiles.ucsd.edu

Gilbert Laboratory: gilbertlab.ucsd.edu

Karen Jensen has 20 years of experience in program management in the non-profit and education sectors. She has been with UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management since 2015 where she has worked closely with student entrepreneurs to help them launch their startups. She has managed business plan competitions, including the Triton Innovation Challenge geared at encouraging researchers to take their commercially viable, environmentally-focused technologies out of the lab and bring them to market.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karenhjensen

Canon has supported the StartBlue accelerator and Scripps research innovations, spin outs, and industry collaborations, including the Scripps Corporate Alliance, since 2022. She earned a Masters of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. As a California Sea Grant Fellow, she worked in the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Aquaculture Program, supporting aquaculture development in state and federal waters. She co-founded the networking group Women in Aquaculture to better connect the industry with research, government, and international partners. She worked for the Waitt Institute as a Communications Manager, leading outreach and awareness in Bermuda and the Federated States of Micronesia to support program goals of developing Blue Economy initiatives while creating Marine Protected Area networks.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/canon-purdy

Danielle is a lifelong mariner with expertise in ocean science as it relates to ecotourism, education & outreach, and maritime operations. Boats have taken her throughout the Bahamas, Turks, Cuba, Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, and the US West Coast. Curiosity has fueled her career as a dive instructor, sailing instructor, captain, marine biologist, education director, and now a program coordinator of Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System. SCCOOS is a science-based decision support system that provides the scientific data and information necessary to address coastal issues. SCCOOS is one of 11 regional ocean observing systems of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System.

Chris Ward is the Principal Consultant at Delawarde Consulting where he focuses on providing strategy, marketing, and business development services for organizations involved in ocean, water, and environmental technology. In prior roles, Chris served as an officer in the NOAA Commissioned Corps and more recently a was a Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for the Analytics Growth Center of Xylem. Chris has over 30 years of both practical and commercial experience working with sales, marketing, and distribution of analytical instrumentation used for measuring and monitoring environmental parameters. Chris has a B.S. in Applied Physics from the University of Delaware and resides in San Diego, CA.

Delawarde Consulting: delawardeinc.com

Scripps Sandbox Makerspace

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/riley-meehan-133b7b65

Dr. Buschmann has over 10 years of program management experience, and 25 years of research experience, including managing large Centers, multi-million dollar clinical precision health programs, and a broad variety of research programs. She has specialized skills in managing day-to-day center operations in research settings, working among multi-PI teams, coordinating external advisory committees, and working with internal and external stakeholders. She has managed research programs at multiple institutions, and has research and coordinating experience across sectors, with industry and academic experience. Dr. Buschmann serves as the StartBlue Director’s Office Liaison to facilitate communication and integrate activities between the Scripps Institution of Oceanography leadership, the External Advisory Committee, and StartBlue CORAL leadership team.

Mariah Avila was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where she began working part-time for an oceanographic consulting company. She completed a B.S. in Biological Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by a M.S in the laboratory of Kevin Esvelt. Her thesis involved the development of high-throughput screens for the engineering of CRISPR Cas12a systems in mammalian cells. She joined the Moore Lab in Fall of 2021, where her interests include the applications of synthetic biology techniques and continuous evolution to marine natural products and human health research.

Carlene Burton, PhD candidate, is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the earth sciences, with a career dedicated to fostering systemic change and creating equitable opportunities in STEM. As a research data analyst at the Scripps Tectonorockphysics Laboratory (STRPL), she focuses on recruiting and retaining People of Color in earth sciences, drawing on her expertise to deliver impactful workshops and presentations. A proud Jamaican mother and soon-to-be G-Ma, Carlene wears many hats, including lab manager and co-leader of URGE (Unlearning Racism in Geoscience) a program with over 4,000 geoscientists. Her efforts have shaped the lives of countless students, educators, and scientists, from training middle school teachers in student-centered pedagogies to developing culturally relevant STEM curricula that honor Indigenous knowledge systems. Carlene’s work bridges research and education, ensuring that underrepresented communities have access to meaningful, transformative experiences in science. Whether mentoring students, crafting anti-racist policies, or designing innovative STEM programs, Carlene’s unwavering commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion shines through in all she does.