HUNTSVILLE — Dr. Florencia Behn, a 15-year employee of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, has been named vice president for research administration and development. She will begin her role Nov. 1.
Behn will lead the development and oversight of all research administration policies and procedures and will cultivate and shepherd strategic partnerships with external organizations, HudsonAlpha said in a news release. With Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Rick Myers, Behn will represent HudsonAlpha’s research mission on internal and external committees and workgroups.
“We are so excited to have Dr. Behn in this new position,” said Dr. Neil Lamb, president of HudsonAlpha. “Flo has been such an invaluable part of the Institute and I am so pleased her leadership role is expanding.”
Behn will also oversee HudsonAlpha’s Strategic Software and Greenhouse teams, continuing their efforts supporting the scientific needs of HudsonAlpha’s faculty. She will continue to provide strategic oversight for research communications and the HudsonAlpha Trainee Program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the institute.
“I am honored for the opportunity to continue my work with HudsonAlpha in this new role,” she said. “The institute’s mission of accelerating research findings to practical applications in an environment that colocates research, entrepreneurship, and education drew me to it more than 15 years ago and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
Behn was senior director of research affairs and led HudsonAlpha’s sponsored projects and helped secure grant funding for existing and emerging research programs. Prior to several roles in research affairs, she was a research scientist in the Myers Lab.
Behn earned a bachelor of science from the University of Toledo and PhD in genetics from Stanford University. She was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow 2008-09.
