Dr. Tracy Laabs is the Chief Development Officer at the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva, Switzerland. In this role, she leads the Center’s development strategy, partnerships and fundraising efforts to accelerate the translation of science and technology to the patient. She assumed this role in Spring of 2020 after five years as the Founding Deputy Director of the Center where she was instrumental in growing and evolving the Center into an international leader in neurotechnology translation. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Women’s Brain Project, an international organization advocating for women’s brain and mental health, and is a member of a Thrive with Mentoring community in Western Switzerland.
Dr. Laabs has over eighteen years of combined professional and research experience in multiple life science disciplines including neuroscience, neurotechnology, molecular biology, physiology, human performance, and regenerative medicine. Prior to joining the Wyss Center, she was a Senior Scientist at Strategic Analysis, Inc. where she provided technical expertise and scientific program management support on high risk, multidisciplinary programs at the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Defense Sciences (DSO) and Biological Technologies offices (BTO).
Dr. Laabs has extensive research experience as well as experience in strategic planning, development and management of high risk/high reward multidisciplinary programs and coordinating interdisciplinary teams of academic and industrial scientists in the development of technologies. She enjoys mentoring young scientists and entrepreneurs, writing and presenting to broad audiences about neuroscience and neurotechnology translation. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BS in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (US).