In 2016, ASAPbio began its journey with a simple yet powerful mission: to accelerate research and communication in the life sciences. Since then, we have made significant strides and contributions to the adoption of preprints and other innovations in scientific publishing. Now, we are thrilled to share some exciting updates that will ensure ASAPbio continues to drive progress in an ever-evolving research and publishing landscape.
Katie Corker is the New Executive Director of ASAPbio
The ASAPbio board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Executive Director, Dr. Katie Corker, who assumes the position effective May 1, 2024. Katie earned her PhD from Michigan State University in 2012 and thereafter held faculty positions at Kenyon College and then Grand Valley State University in psychology. As a faculty member, she built on her background and interests in research methodology as she worked alongside colleagues to build an open science focused nonprofit called the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS) from the ground up. First as a board member and later as the society’s first executive officer, Katie oversaw the organization’s growth from a small meeting of like-minded researchers into an incorporated nonprofit with more than 500 members and an annual meeting with several hundred attendees. Since 2022, Katie has served as community engagement advisor for the Center for Open Science, this year managing a virtual conference in honor of the Year of Open Science that brought together nearly 1,400 stakeholders from across the open research ecosystem. Katie joins ASAPbio Associate Director Jonny Coates who, among many other duties, will continue to oversee ASAPbio’s signature Fellows program.
“Preprints are having a watershed moment, with key changes in federal research policy being enacted in the US, while at the same time UNESCO and others are working to spread open science equitably worldwide,” Katie said. “ASAPbio, too, is at a pivotal phase in its development. I look forward to working with the board of directors and the entire ASAPbio community to seize this crucial opportunity to accelerate research progress in the life sciences.”
New Board Leadership
ASAPbio is also delighted to announce that board members Ludo Waltman, Gautam Dey, and Iain Cheeseman will assume new leadership roles on the board, effective March 22, 2024. Ludo, Professor and Scientific Director at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University, assumes the role of board President. Gautam, Group Leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, will serve as Vice President. Iain, Professor at MIT and member of the Whitehead Institute, will continue to serve as Treasurer and also assume a role as Vice President.
“The scientific publishing system is under intense strain, facing major challenges around research integrity, pressure on peer reviewers, and inequities in access to publishing services. Preprinting, open peer review, and novel publish-review-curate workflows offer exciting opportunities to address these challenges,” Ludo said. Gautam added, “Seizing these opportunities requires the research community to be at the center of the conversation, and this is where I am proud to see how ASAPbio is truly making a difference.”
Extending Thanks to Recent ASAPbio Leaders
ASAPbio extends its gratitude to outgoing board members, President Prachee Avasthi and Vice President James Fraser. Both Prachee and James have served as ASAPbio’s board leaders since September 2020 and have provided superb leadership for the board during their tenure.
Outgoing Executive Director Jessica Polka continues to work closely with ASAPbio in a consultative role after transitioning to a new position as Program Director for Open Science at the Astera Institute earlier this year. We are immensely grateful to Jessica for her pioneering role in reshaping scientific publishing practices in the life sciences.
About ASAPbio
ASAPbio (Accelerating Science and Publication in biology) is a scientist-driven nonprofit working to drive open and innovative communication in the life sciences. We promote the productive use of preprints for research dissemination and transparent peer review and feedback on all research outputs.
