Composition and Departmental Structure

We have a concerted effort to build the strongest possible Department while drawing upon the full diversity of talented people in the field. There are currently 50 faculty members of which 39 are tenured, having begun their careers in the Department. 30% of our tenured faculty are women.

Our faculty is geographically located in two main units and in Harvard-affiliated hospitals. All faculty members of the Department are actively engaged in investigation (see individual faculty) and teaching, regardless of location, and participate in regular data presentations, faculty meetings, and Departmental retreats. The Chairman of the Department (Clifford Tabin), Vice Chair (Susan Dymecki), and the Administrative Director (Vonda Shannon) are located in the Quadrangle-based unit, while the Vice Chairman (Jeannie Lee) is located in the MGH-based unit (the MGH Department of Molecular Biology) where she serves as Chief of the unit. While the two main parts of the Department function independently in their internal administration and have distinct intellectual cultures, The Chair and Vice-Chairs work closely together in integrating the research efforts and promoting cohesion of the entire Department.