Debbie received her Bachelor of Arts in Bacteriology and Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology from University of California, Davis. Debbie joined Nature’s Fynd in September 2021 as Vice President Research Development and built an expanded organization in Chicago. In January 2022 she was promoted to Chief Science Office. Prior to her current role she was with Novozymes (formerly Novo Nordisk and now Novonensis) for 28 years starting as a Research Scientist and ending as Managing Director for R&D in California. She has experience in enzyme discovery and protein engineering for use in industrial applications including textile applications. Debbie has expertise in engineering microorganisms for protein and chemical production as well as whole microbe products using synthetic biology and classic approaches like mutagenesis and screening. She has knowledge of scaling microbes from lab to production for industrial and food applications and enzymes for use in various industrial applications. She has > 40 issued patents and authored > 20 peer reviewed publications. She has negotiated and managed external collaborations with both companies as well as government and university laboratories. In her current role she has managed large research grants from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Debbie taught for over 15 years a graduate level seminar on industrial biotechnology at University of California, Davis. She is an active member of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB) serving on Board of Directors, President and most recently as Chair of Audit Committee. She is also on several advisory boards. In 2014, she received the first Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology from Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).

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