Beth Shapiro, Ph.D.

Beth Shapiro is a world-renowned expert in ancient DNA and an evolutionary biologist who specializes in the genetics of ice age animals and plants.  As the Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences, she leads groundbreaking efforts to bring back extinct species and protect endangered ones. At Colossal, Shapiro applies cutting-edge genetic technologies to restore lost species and strengthen conservation efforts for animals at risk of extinction. She is internationally recognized for pioneering work in ancient DNA, having recovered genetic material from extinct species like the dodo and mammoth. Her research spans ancient pathogens, Ice Age ecosystems, and the evolution of domestic animals, advancing genomic technologies for both conservation and medicine.

Shapiro is a MacArthur Fellow and member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a Rhodes Scholar, and an award-winning author and science communicator. Before joining Colossal full time, she was Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Associate Director for Conservation Genomics at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, as well as an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Oxford, where she was a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow and Director of the Henry Wellcome Biomolecules Centre.