Dr. Roger N. Beachy, one of the world's foremost plant scientists who is internationally known for his work on virus-resistant plants, was appointed President of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 1, 1999. As its first president, Dr. Beachy will be responsible for setting the Danforth Center's strategic direction, hiring staff and formulating its research programs. He was selected after a broad, international search that included more than fifty candidates.

From 1991 to 1998, Dr. Beachy headed the Division of Plant Biology at The Scripps Research Institute, a leading biomedical research center, in La Jolla, California. He is also co-director of the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology.

Prior to joining the Scripps Institute, Dr. Beachy was a member of the Washington University biology department from 1978 to 1991. He was also Professor and Head of the Center for Plant Science and Biotechnology. His work at Washington University, in collaboration with Monsanto Company, lead to development of the world's first genetically altered food crop, a variety of tomato that was modified for resistance to virus disease. Research under Dr. Beachy's direction has led to a number of patent applications. He has edited or contributed to 40 book articles and his work has produced more than 160 journal publications and often lectures on plant biology and biotechnology. His technique to produce virus resistance in tomatoes has been replicated by other researchers to produce many types of plants with resistance to a number of different virus diseases.

Active in the scientific community, Dr. Beachy serves on numerous boards and committees: the Committee on Biological Control of Diseases of the National Research Council and the International Union of Biological Sciences. He serves as consultant for a number of companies in plant biotechnology. He is also a member of a number of scientific societies, including the American Society for Plant Physiology, American Phytopathological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Society for Virology, among others. In 1995, the San Diego Press Club with a Headliner of the Year Award recognized Dr. Beachy. He was the 1991 recipient of the Commonwealth Award for Science and Industry, given by the Bank of Delaware. He also received the 1990 Ruth Allen Award from the American Phytopathological Society. Dr. Beachy was recently appointed to the German American Academic Council; he is a member of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Beachy holds a Ph.D. in plant pathology from Michigan State University. He earned a B.A. in biology from Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana.