Raymond H. Cypess, DVM, PhD
Chairman, ATCC Board of Directors
“There’s so much more to ATCC than meets the eye. Our work touches virtually every aspect of American life, benefiting society, the environment, and human health. For more than a century, it’s been a driving force in the advancement of sound, reproducible science. And I’m proud to have played a leading role over the changing years in guiding this organization, which has become a pillar of scientific integrity and discovery.”
Dr. Raymond Cypess served as ATCC’s CEO and Chairman with unwavering dedication for 31 years. After stepping down as CEO in 2025, he continues to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors, where his strategic insight will guide ATCC’s future.
As CEO, Dr. Cypess demonstrated a visionary approach, employing innovative and nontraditional strategies to manage ATCC’s unique nonprofit/for-profit corporate structure. His leadership redefined the organization’s financial foundation, ensuring its long-term viability, sustained growth, and enduring contributions to advancing credible science.
In his capacity as a researcher, Dr. Cypess has served as principal investigator on numerous grants and contracts, including the Malaria Research and Reference Reagent Resource Center (MR4) and the Biodefense and Emerging Infections Resources repository (BEI Resources) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Experience
Dr. Cypess joined ATCC from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, where he was dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences, professor of microbiology, immunology and comparative medicine, and vice provost for research and research training. During his leadership there, he created two new academic service departments: Biomedical Engineering and Comparative Medicine. In addition, he developed centerwide core infrastructure units, led a successful strategy that significantly increased the research funding of the university, and was awarded the University of Tennessee Memphis College of Medicine Outstanding Teacher Award five years running (1989–1993). Earlier in his career, he was an associate professor of epidemiology and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and professor and chairman at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Cypess participated on the scientific review boards of NIAID, was part of various National Institutes of Health study sections, and served on several editorial boards. He is the author of more than 80 chapters, reviews and journal articles; a fellow in the Infectious Disease Society; and a member of the American Epidemiology Society. He has served on boards for the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ corporations and has been director and treasurer of the Virginia Biotechnology Authority.
Dr. Cypess holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois and a doctorate in parasitology from the University of North Carolina.
