Dennis M. Gross, MS, PhD

Dennis M Gross, MS, PhD, SSYB, SFC, is the CEO and Professor of Pharmacology for the Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute (PDDI) and Distinguished Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and Medicinal Chemistry at the Blumberg Institute. He is also faculty in the Jefferson College of Life Sciences and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics in the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University (TJU). In addition, he is Corporate Faculty at Harrisburg University of Science & Technology and a member of the National Visiting Committee for the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative. Prior to his current role with the PDDI, he was Associate Dean for Program Development and Assessment and Director for the Professional Science Masters Programs and Associate Director for Curriculum for the TJU Postbaccalaureate Pre-Professional Premed Program. Prior to this, he was at the Merck Research Labs (MRL) for 29 years, retiring in 2006 as Senior Director and Head of West Point Business Operations with overall responsibilities for capital planning and facilities in PA, CA, and MA. He was also responsible for lab projects and operations oversight at MRL sites in Canada, Japan, Italy, and the UK. In his career at Merck, he held several positions ranging from bench scientist to head of computer resources, manager of international strategic planning, M&A activities, coordination of site closure activities at various remote sites, and liaison for basic research and clinical development in Japan working with Banyu Pharmaceuticals. During his tenure at Merck, he also was an Adjunct Professor of Global Logistics in the School of Business and Industry of Florida A&M University. Additionally, he has worked with the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, DC on policy issues relating to biological weapons of mass destruction.

He received his BA (1969) and MS (1970) from California State University Northridge and his PhD (1974) from UCLA pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Tulane University School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Association for Pharmaceutical Scientists, American Chemical Society, History of Science Society, International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sigma Xi, and the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association. He is currently the Editor at Large for the Journal of Global Bioentreprenurship.