M. William Lensch, Ph.D., is Associate Provost for Research. In this role, he works closely with the Vice Provost for Research (VPR) to support Harvard’s rich and complex, investigator-driven enterprise. His experience in research, education, administration, science policy, intellectual property, consulting and outreach combine in support of scientific discovery. He oversees a variety of strategic initiatives and develops key relationships – both within and beyond Harvard – to advance this research agenda including the many Interfaculty Initiatives (IFI) and cross-school curricular programs.

Prior to assuming his current role, Dr. Lensch was Strategic Advisor to the Dean of Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Consortium on Pandemic Readiness (MassCPR), an HMS-led, multi-institutional response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. He has additionally served the Harvard community as Chief of Staff to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Executive Director of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (SCRB), Faculty Director of Education for the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), and as Instructor in Pediatrics at HMS/Boston Children’s Hospital.

He has contributed to more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, book chapters and policy recommendations, and presented over 200 lectures, medical grand rounds, interviews and panel discussions.

Dr. Lensch earned his B.S. in Biology from Utah State University and his Ph.D. in the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics at Oregon Health Sciences University, where he studied pediatric bone marrow failure, the onset of myeloid leukemia and rare diseases of the blood. His post-doctoral work at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and as a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Career-Development Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital used various types of human cells and tissue as platforms for understanding the genetics, development and diseases of the blood-forming system.

Assisted by: Drew Nichols, drew_nichols@harvard.edu