Glen McGugan, Ph.D.
ASM
Glen McGugan, Ph.D., is the Director of the ASM Mechanism Discovery Scientific Unit. He brings a passion for global health and collaborative innovation and will work closely with the ASM CEO, the volunteer Chair of the Mechanism Discovery unit and its advisory council to help drive the ASM strategic roadmap.
Prior to joining ASM, McGugan spent nearly 2 decades as a Health Scientist Administrator (program officer) in the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH). During his tenure, he managed a broad extramural research portfolio spanning basic biology through translational studies and clinical trials of antiparasitic therapeutics, including malaria and neglected tropical diseases. He provided scientific expertise to shape funding initiatives, organized high-impact workshops and symposia and fostered collaborations with academia, industry and global health partners. He also provided scientific oversight for research contracts, engaged in international programs and collaborations and contributed to institute-wide strategic planning and policy efforts.
Beyond his NIH leadership, McGugan demonstrated a strong commitment to communicating science clearly and effectively. He taught biology and microbiology at the college level, delivered presentations on NIH funding priorities and grants policy at universities and research institutes worldwide, and engaged diverse audiences at national and international scientific conferences.
McGugan earned his Ph.D. from Clemson University, where his dissertation research focused on vesicle trafficking and molecular mechanisms of parasite pathogenesis. He completed postdoctoral training at NIAID’s Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, where he investigated biochemical processes underlying parasite virulence. His scientific and technical expertise spans microbial biology, host-microbe interactions, neglected tropical diseases, therapeutics discovery and development, program and grant oversight, international collaboration and strategic program planning.
Prior to joining ASM, McGugan spent nearly 2 decades as a Health Scientist Administrator (program officer) in the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH). During his tenure, he managed a broad extramural research portfolio spanning basic biology through translational studies and clinical trials of antiparasitic therapeutics, including malaria and neglected tropical diseases. He provided scientific expertise to shape funding initiatives, organized high-impact workshops and symposia and fostered collaborations with academia, industry and global health partners. He also provided scientific oversight for research contracts, engaged in international programs and collaborations and contributed to institute-wide strategic planning and policy efforts.
Beyond his NIH leadership, McGugan demonstrated a strong commitment to communicating science clearly and effectively. He taught biology and microbiology at the college level, delivered presentations on NIH funding priorities and grants policy at universities and research institutes worldwide, and engaged diverse audiences at national and international scientific conferences.
McGugan earned his Ph.D. from Clemson University, where his dissertation research focused on vesicle trafficking and molecular mechanisms of parasite pathogenesis. He completed postdoctoral training at NIAID’s Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, where he investigated biochemical processes underlying parasite virulence. His scientific and technical expertise spans microbial biology, host-microbe interactions, neglected tropical diseases, therapeutics discovery and development, program and grant oversight, international collaboration and strategic program planning.