SCIENCE/RECOVERY:
WINSTON THOMAS, PH.D.

Dr. Winston Thomas serves as the Director of Pharmacological Sciences at Elan Pharmaceuticals, where he manages their transgenic mouse effort and works on uncovering the function of a variety of mammalian genes. He formerly served as Deltagen’s Chief Operating Officer, and as Vice President of Scientific Operations and Director of Molecular Biology there. Prior to joining Deltagen in 1999, Dr. Thomas was a senior scientist at Mercator Genetics Inc. and was a postdoctoral fellow at Genentech Inc.

Before embarking on his career as a biologist, Winston grew up hiking and camping in the Intermountain West, and worked as a professional river guide on the Colorado River in Utah. Through his experiences, he gained an understanding of the overall perspective of Western ranchers and hunters, and their attitude toward wolves and their environment.

He received a B.S. in biology from the University of Utah, and a Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University. His professional career has been devoted to conducting research in the field of mammalian genetics in the biotechnology industry.

As a trained and published biologist, Dr. Thomas understands that wolves play a critical role in their ecosystem, and need and deserve protection, as plant and animal species benefit directly or indirectly from a healthy wolf population. He feels strongly that there is no scientific support for the hunting of wolves, and is focused on concerns that the public, in general, is not familiar with the science of ecology.

He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay area.