Chairman

Dr. William P. Duncan is Retired President of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute.

From February 2001 to April 2009, Dr. Duncan served as President of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute. He had oversight responsibility for the Institute’s life sciences initiative including: the articulation of the Institute vision to the various community and scientific stakeholders and potential funding organizations; provided the administrative and technical leadership required to initiate the implementation of the Institute business plan; fostered the continuing dialog and understanding between the business and research communities; supported and fostered collaborations within the research community while consistently promoted Institute goals and objectives; and assisted community and scientific leaders in fund-raising activities.

Prior to joining the Life Sciences Institute, Dr. Duncan was Vice President of Technical Operations for Midwest Research Institute, where he provided oversight for MRI’s six technical divisions. From 1995 to 1999, Dr. Duncan was responsible for MRI’s Strategic Marketing Program and the activities of MRI regional marketing representatives. From 1988 to 1995, Dr. Duncan was President and Chief Operating Officer of Oread Laboratories, Inc., where he was involved in strategic planning and implementation for targeted acquisitions, joint ventures, contractual agreements and internal development. During this time, he was directly responsible for collaboration and cooperation with the Kansas University Higuchi Biosciences Center for patenting and commercializing analytical chemistry technologies developed by the centers. Prior to this position, Dr. Duncan was responsible for overall administrative and technical management of ChemSyn Science Laboratories, an MRI spinoff company, from 1984 to 1987.

Dr. Duncan received a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Oklahoma State University in 1972. He is a member of American Chemical Society and International Isotope Society.

He served for several years on Senator Pat Roberts Kansas Senate Advisory Committee on Science, Technology and the Future and its Biotechnology Task Force, as a board member of KansasBio and Missouri Biotechnology Association prior to his retirement and currently serves on the board of CritiTech, Inc and Science Pioneers.

He has received numerous awards, including the Ernst & Young 1992 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the MRI Council of Principal Scientists Science Award in 1981 and the Enterprise Award in 1997.