Faculty Directory

EDUCATION 

PhD, Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park, 2011

BACKGROUND

Chris Byrd joined UMD in 2023 as the Associate for the Joint Research Laboratory, an Engineering unit that is focused on joint and collaborative research with federal and corporate partners to create world-class capabilities to perform fundamental and applied research.

Previously, Chris served as a US Army officer on active duty for 21 years, holding a wide array of positions including leadership at various echelons of tactical and operational units both stateside and in combat zones.  As a member of the Uniformed Army Scientist and Engineer Program, Chris oversaw or managed numerous developmental program efforts in positions such as Deputy Director of the Center for Molecular Science at the United States Military Academy at West Point and Lead Science Advisor and Fellow for the Chief of Staff of the Army.  Since retiring from the Army in 2016, Chris has worked as a Senior Biological Subject Matter Expert for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency on therapeutic and prophylaxis  development, and the George Washington University Cancer Center on immunoengineered and tissue engineered approaches for oncology research.