Nancy D. Connell

Nancy D. Connell is a Professor and Vice-chair for Research in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (R-NJMS) and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Harvard University. Her research focuses on antibacterial drug discovery targeting respiratory pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Bacillus anthracis, with recent emphasis on predatory bacteria as novel therapeutics.

• Educational Background: Ph.D. in Microbiology, Harvard University.

Connell directs the BSL-III Facility at R-NJMS’s Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens and chairs the University’s Institutional Biosafety Committee. She has secured continuous NIH, Department of Defense, and industry funding since 1993. She actively participates in NIH study sections, review panels, and National Academy of Sciences committees addressing biodefense and dual-use research ethics.

Connell chairs the NRC Standing Committee for Faculty Development on Dual Use Issues, organizing international workshops in Jordan (2012), Malaysia (2013), Trieste (2014), and other regions. She is a Board member of the National Academies of Sciences’ Board on Life Sciences.