Delaware Biotechnology Institute director appointed

April M. Kloxin, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of Delaware, has been named director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI), a statewide hub for life science research and workforce development. Her appointment began on Feb. 1.

She succeeds Jung-Youn Lee, professor of plant and soil sciences at the University, who has served as interim director since 2023.

"Professor Kloxin is an internationally recognized research leader and collaborative force for the life sciences," said Miguel Garcia-Diaz, UD's vice president for research, scholarship and innovation. "We are delighted to welcome her to this new role and grateful to Professor Lee for her leadership during a period of continued growth in Delaware's life sciences ecosystem."

Kloxin brings both deep scientific expertise and firsthand experience with DBI's impact. Her research group designs materials that mimic human tissues, advancing new strategies for the treatment of injuries, wounds and diseases such as breast cancer and fibrosis, and new approaches for the manufacturing of biotherapeutics.

Since joining UD in 2011, she credits early access to DBI's facilities and seed funding through its Bioscience CAT program for helping her establish an interdisciplinary research program that today includes major industry partners. A 2024 analysis by UD's Data Science Institute identified her as one of the University's most collaborative researchers based on her joint publications with faculty across departments and colleges.

As DBI director, Kloxin aims to broaden that culture of collaboration across Delaware's academic, industry and community partners.

"DBI is such a wonderful institution with a long history of supporting innovation and academic partnerships," she said, noting that the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and BioConnect DE are among the key initiatives that grew out of the DBI ecosystem. "I'm excited to help guide this community into its next chapter."

A key priority will be working with stakeholders to refresh DBI's mission and strategic pillars for the next decade. Biotechnology has expanded significantly since the institute was founded over 25 years ago, now spanning biomanufacturing, biomaterials and data science, in addition to human health, agriculture, and energy and environmental applications.

"I want to grow the DBI community to reflect the full breadth of biotechnology research and strengthen the mechanisms that connect academic and industry partners and align with workforce needs," Kloxin said. "DBI's core strengths - and its commitment to excellence - will remain at the foundation."

Kloxin also plans to raise the visibility and accessibility of DBI's core facilities, which provide world-class expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation, including the Bio-Imaging Center, Sequencing and Genotyping Center, Bioinformatics Data Science Core and Flow Cytometry Core.

"These facilities are true research engines for UD and for the state," she said. "I want to ensure that researchers across Delaware can take full advantage of what DBI offers."

Kloxin describes her leadership style as centered on empowering people and fostering connection - an approach informed by her upbringing in a small town and her experiences working in her family's landscape business and within industrial manufacturing as a newly minted engineer.

"DBI embodies that spirit, and I'm eager to build on that foundation to advance biotechnology research and innovation in Delaware," she said.

Kloxin received her bachelor's and master's degrees from North Carolina State University, her doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and postdoctoral training with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She has received the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, Susan G. Komen Foundation Career Catalyst Research award, and National Science Foundation CAREER award and is a past Pew Biomedical Scholar.

About the Delaware Biotechnology Institute

DBI is a magnet for life science research and development. With funding support from the State of Delaware, DBI facilitates multidisciplinary, collaborative academic research at all of Delaware's research organizations, including the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Christiana Care Health System, Nemours Children's Hospital and Delaware Technical and Community College. DBI also fosters academic-industrial research partnerships through the Center for Advanced Technology and works to support the local bioscience industry (from startups to multinationals) in partnership with the Delaware Bioscience Association. DBI is also committed to inspiring and training the next-generation scientist.