Dr James Watson

Chief Executive, GENESIS RESEACRH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LTD

James Watson is the Chief Executive of Genesis Research & Development Corporation Limited, a biotechnology company based in Auckland, New Zealand. The company was founded in 1994 and listed on the New Zealand and Australian Stock Exchanges (GEN) in 2000. Genesis has built a strong genomics platform to capture intellectual property and uses a partnership strategy to develop commercial products in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries

Dr Watson completed a PhD in Microbiology from Auckland University in 1967, then undertook postdoctoral work at Syntex Corporation, Palo Alto (1967-69) and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla (1969-75). He accepted a position as Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, University of California, Irvine, 1975, and was promoted to Professor in 1978.

Dr Watson returned to New Zealand in 1981 as Professor of Microbiology, Massey University, founding the Department of Molecular Medicine, and serving as Head of Department from 1983-93.

He has served as President of the Australasian Society of Immunolgy and is a Director of the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology.