Stephen Ekker, Ph.D., named dean of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Stephen Ekker, Ph.D. (BIOC ’07), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, was named dean of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He succeeds Louis (Jim) Maher III, Ph.D. (BIOC ’95).

Dr. Ekker received a Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics from Johns Hopkins University. He is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota. Since 2013 he has been associate director of Mayo’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Ph.D. training track within the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Long interested in fostering future scientists, Dr. Ekker helped established Integrated Science Education Outreach to address issues in science and health literacy in the K-16 educational pipeline, and the first Mayo Clinic work-study program with University of Minnesota Rochester students to provide critical exposure to research for undergraduates.

Dr. Ekker is director of Mayo Clinic’s Office of Entrepreneurship, where he develops new entrepreneurship educational tools and coursework for the bench-to-business-to-bedside translational path. He is founder and director of the Walleye Tank, a life sciences pitch competition providing educational opportunity for emerging and established medical and life science companies. He has received numerous awards and National Institutes of Health grants.