Morven McLean, PhD, MSc
Inaugural Director of FARM
Executive Director of Networks and Innovation
Morven McLean will serve as the Inaugural Director of FARM, as well as the Executive Director of Networks and Innovation, and Professor of Practice at WashU’s new School of Public Health, launching FARM and leading the discovery and delivery of sustainable solutions that will nourish humanity while protecting the health of our planet. An agricultural scientist with more than 25 years of experience, Morven has dedicated her career to developing and implementing applied agricultural research and capacity building programs that address scientific, regulatory, and trade issues related to agricultural innovation and food security.
Previously, Morven served as the Director of Global Strategy, Regulatory & Public Affairs at Gates Agricultural Innovations (Gates Ag One), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring high-quality, cutting-edge crop innovations are available and accessible to those who need them most.
Before joining Gates Ag One, Morven was CEO of the non-profit Agriculture & Food Systems Institute. She has worked internationally with governments, non-governmental organizations, and the public and private sectors on issues of policy and regulation pertaining to agricultural, forest, and aquatic biotechnology.
Morven has served as a technical expert on biotechnology risk assessment, regulation, and policy for many organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United Nations Environment Program, as well as many national governments in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South America.
In addition to serving on the Governing Council of icipe (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology), she is Co-Chair of the Global Steering Council for the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project.
She received her BSc (Agriculture) from McGill University, MSc in environmental biology from the University of Guelph, and PhD in molecular plant virology from the University of British Columbia.