The search process for the next director of the Life Sciences Institute has begun.

Roger Cone’s term as the Mary Sue Coleman Director of LSI concludes in August 2026, and Provost Laurie McCauley has announced the appointment of the U-M advisory committee that will assist in the replacement search. The committee met July 23 to receive its official charge.

Assisting the committee is executive search firm JM Search. Representing the firm are Principals Johanna Neuman and Lionel Anderson. This team has extensive expertise and a successful history of managing health and life sciences searches. 

The search advisory committee includes representatives from faculty, staff and students of LSI, as well as members of the university community: 

• Janet Smith, chair, Rita Willis Professor of the Life Sciences, Martha L. Ludwig Distinguished University Professor of Biological Chemistry, professor of biological chemistry, Medical School, research professor and associate director, LSI, and professor of biophysics, LSA
• Michael Boehnke, Richard G. Cornell Distinguished University Professor of Biostatistics, School of Public Health
• Jay Brito Querido, research assistant professor, LSI, and assistant professor of biological chemistry, Medical School
• Kate Cagney, director, Institute for Social Research, research professor, Survey Research Center, research professor, Population Studies Center, ISR, and professor of sociology, LSA
• Vishva Dixit, vice president and senior fellow, Genentech
• David Ginsburg, James V. Neel Distinguished University Professor of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Medicine, professor of internal medicine, professor of human genetics and professor of pediatrics, Medical School, and research professor, LSI
• Phyllis I. Hanson, Minor J. Coon Collegiate Professor of Biological Chemistry, chair, Department of Biological Chemistry, professor of cell and developmental biology and of neurology, Medical School
• Karin Harumi Uchima Koecklin, research fellow, LSI and adjunct clinical assistant professor of dentistry, School of Dentistry
• Anna Mapp, associate dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, Edwin Vedejs Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, LSA, and research professor, LSI
• Melanie D Ohi, Rowena G. Matthews Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences, professor of cell and developmental biology, Medical School, and research professor, LSI
• Nick Vangos, Ph.D. student, cellular and molecular biology
• ​​Savannah Williams, director of LSI Outreach and Community Engagement
• Connie Wu, research assistant professor, LSI, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, College of Engineering, and assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, College of Pharmacy