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Daniel Flynn, Ph.D.
Of Counsel
Boca Raton FL USA
Get in TouchDaniel Flynn, Ph.D. has an extensive background as a researcher, research administrator, educator, and entrepreneur, with particular expertise in the field of cancer cell biology. He draws upon these varied experiences in his role as Of Counsel with WittKieffer, supporting the recruitment of research leaders as well as CEOs, provosts, deans, department chairs, and other senior academic medicine executives.
Daniel was an NIH-funded research scientist for 20 years, published 70 scientific reports, working in the fields of virology, cancer cell biology, and breast cancer invasion, and held major federal funding with programmatic research grants as a principal investigator ($40M total). He served on NIH study sections for 14 years, as well as serving on several national and regional committees for the NIH, NSF, AAMC, VA, and statewide committees. As an administrator, Daniel has held the positions of Department Chair, Research Dean, and Vice President of Research at academic medical centers and universities. He was part of a team that founded and established The Commonwealth Medical College (now known as The Geisinger Medical College).
As Vice President of Research at Florida Atlantic University for nearly a decade, Daniel implemented programs that led to an increase in annual research expenditures from $23M to $95M. In this capacity, he led efforts to transition FAU toward R1 designation, which was achieved in 2024. As VPR, he oversaw and led entrepreneurship programs, technology transfer, research compliance, animal quarters, research accounting, sponsored programs, and federal government engagement on Capitol Hill. Daniel is Professor Emeritus at FAU, engaged in studying microbial genomics and informatics. He taught virology to medical students for 20 years, led problem-based learning sessions for second-year medical students, and served on an AAMC subcommittee that examined the future of medical education. He led efforts to establish research cooperative agreements with international universities in Israel and England, consulted with AAAS to assist universities in Saudi Arabia to develop technology transfer offices, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Entrepreneurship, Commercialization of Research, Economic Development and Academic Partnerships with French universities (Paris, Nantes, Angier).
Daniel was the scientific founder of a biotech company called Protea Biosciences that had a successful IPO, existed for 17 years, and employed 50 people before being acquired. He served on the board of BioArkive, a San Diego-based biotech company, and facilitated a successful M&A exit when it was acquired by Immuneering, Inc. He currently serves on the board of one biotech company and is an advisor to two others. Daniel obtained his B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park (Microbiology), Ph.D. from North Carolina State University (Virology), and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Virginia Cancer Center. He held a tenure track faculty position at West Virginia University’s cancer center for 16 years where he served as Deputy Director of the cancer center and liaison to a regional phase I/II clinical trials consortium. He moved to research administration in 2008 when he was selected to work with a team to found, develop, and accredit a new medical school in Pennsylvania (Geisinger Medical School).
In his personal time, Daniel enjoys researching and writing books on the intersection of colonial American History and Genealogy. He and his wife live in Boca Raton, Florida, and enjoy spending time in Ecuador.
Distinctions
Fulbright Scholar, 2022 (France)
Editorial Board, Technology & Innovation
CSR Award for Outstanding Service, NIH Study Sections (2009)
WVU Medical School Teacher of the Year (2008, 2005)
Education
Ph.D., Microbiology/Virology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
B.S., Microbiology/Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA
Strategists and Team Players: Trends in Academic Medical Research Leadership