Michael E. Zwick

Michael E. Zwick, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President for Research at Rutgers University, where he leads the Office for Research. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has three geographic campuses, four chancellor-led units, 29 decanal units, and more than 300 research centers and institutes. Rutgers is one of the country's most inclusive and diverse institutions, with nearly 70,000 students representing all 50 states and over 120 countries. More than 23,600 full and part-time faculty, staff, and international scholars support Rutgers’ academic, research, and service missions. In fiscal year 2022, 1598 PIs received 4167 sponsored awards with total funding of $871 million. The fiscal year 2023 awards have grown to more than $929 million. Licensing revenue of ~$12 million annually is derived from 1,197 worldwide patents, and Rutgers has more than 100+ active startups. The Office for Research comprises 308 staff with an annual budget exceeding $72 million to support these activities. The Office for Research includes Research Administration, University-wide Core Services, Research Partnerships, Technology Transfer, New Ventures, and Finance and Administration teams. Dr. Zwick serves as Rutgers’s Institutional Official for the Human Subjects Protection Program and the Animal Care Program.

Dr. Zwick earned a B.S. from Cornell University in Biological Sciences, specializing in Genetics and Development, and a Ph.D. in Population Biology from the Center for Population Biology at the University of California at Davis. A former Professor of Human Genetics at Emory University, his research uses genetics principles to discover the causes of rare and common disorders, with research experience as an individual investigator, a member of large consortiums, and a research leader.

In addition to his experience as a human geneticist, Dr. Zwick’s collaborative, team-based approach also comes from his 25 years of military service as a former surface warfare qualified officer in the United States Navy (Commander, O-5). Dr. Zwick served onboard the USS KAUFFMAN (FFG 59) for 38 months and is a veteran of Desert Storm. As a reservist, he served in multiple commands, including Commander Pacific Fleet, Commander US Forces Japan, Naval Medical Research Center, and the Office of Naval Research. Dr. Zwick was called to active duty to support the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts from November 2002 through November 2004.