Soranno named to co-lead research infrastructure project

Jan 23, 2024

Patricia A. Soranno and Jeffrey P. MacKeigan will be joining the Office of Research and Innovation as Senior Fellows for Research Infrastructure for Michigan State University. Reporting to AVP Kay Connelly, the senior fellows also join ORI’s leadership team.

In this new role, MacKeigan and Soranno will conduct an in-depth assessment of MSU’s shared core facilities and associated research infrastructure, including funding, space, personnel, and lifecycles. Together, the senior fellows will also lead a strategic planning process that will produce a white paper recommending how best to organize, oversee, and invest in core facilities, equipment and other shared research infrastructure to advance MSU research.

As one of the leading research institutions in higher education, MSU’s research infrastructure spans the gamut from advanced equipment and facilities to the trained professionals enabling and conducting the research that ensures labs and students are equipped with the right tools for discovery. As MSU continues to grow and expand its research portfolio, the need to develop a strategic long-term plan for shared research infrastructure was realized, and the Senior Fellow for Research Infrastructure position was created. After campus feedback was obtained, the scope of the project was increased and the need for two fellows to join the team at 50% time was necessary. They will work together on the project for a 2-year period.

Together, the fellows will shape the impact of strategic investments in research infrastructure for years to come.

Patricia A. Soranno, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program in the College of Natural Science, and recently concluded a four-year assignment as Director of the Division of Biological Infrastructure at the National Science Foundation. Professor Soranno was the Founding Editor-in-Chief for Limnology & Oceanography Letters, where she designed an innovative early-career fellows program. Soranno is also the co-Director of the Data-intensive Landscape Limnology Lab. As a leader for large research teams with high-level administrative project management experience, Soranno brings a wealth of experience to this role.

Jeffrey P. MacKeigan, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development and was Assistant Dean for Research in the College of Human Medicine before taking this role. His research focuses on cellular signaling networks important for cancer growth and survival, with the goal to identify novel therapeutic strategies. MacKeigan also has active appointments with the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Van Andel Research Institute, contributing to his extensive background in biomedical-based research

Long-term strategies for research infrastructure support long-term plans for research activity. MSU’s sustained achievements in cutting-edge research and creative work are due in part to robust hiring initiatives, such as the Global Impact Initiative, to bring the best faculty and talent to MSU. Attracting and retaining the best faculty, research staff and students requires state of the art research infrastructure, which requires a sustained strategy to invest in shared equipment, research staff, and core labs for researchers at MSU. Students also benefit from having expanded access to research infrastructure that is collaborative to support their education. As research becomes more data intensive, with new areas of study emerging, this timely examination of MSU’s research infrastructure ensures the foundations of the future are fortified by the decisions of today.

Read the fully story with the Office of Research and Innovation