Liz Barry, J.D.

Managing Director, Life Sciences Institute
University of Michigan

As the chief operating officer, Ms. Barry's responsibilities include establishing and overseeing administration and operations and working closely with the Director in planning, policy formation, recruitment and development. She developed and co-teaches “The Business of Biology” a graduate course at the Ross School of Business. Ms. Barry's areas of expertise include: administration, finance and budgeting, intellectual property and technology transfer, and scientific recruiting and hiring. She has authored papers and given recent presentations on scientific authorship, stem cell research policy and the regulation of dual-use technology.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Barry served as the Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel at the University of Michigan. She was the primary in-house lawyer on the two lawsuits challenging the University’s affirmative action policies until April, 2002 (when she joined the LSI) and she also oversaw legal services for the University’s technology transfer function. She has served as University Attorney for Harvard University and as an Associate Attorney at Ropes & Gray, a Boston law firm.

Liz Barry received a B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 1983. She received her J.D. with Honors from the University of Michigan in 1988.