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Stefano Bertuzzi, Ph.D., MPH, is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Society for Microbiology (91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ). Bertuzzi has wide experience in science policy and scholarly publishing. Prior to joining as the CEO of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, Bertuzzi was the Executive Director at the American Society for Cell Biology for 3 years and was a senior scientific executive at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he served as Director of the Office of Science Policy, Planning, and Communications at the National Institute of Mental Health and as a science policy advisor to the NIH Director, Dr. Elias Zerhouni. He also served as Director of Neurogenetic Laboratory at the Dulbecco Institute as a Telethon Scientist in Milan, Italy.

Bertuzzi received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biotechnology from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, Italy with a fellowship in the Microbiology Institute, and his Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with a specialization in health policy.

Throughout his career, Bertuzzi led the U.S. government negotiations with the European Union (EU) to achieve funding reciprocity between the NIH and the EU. He also worked with the Obama White House to develop an information system to capture the benefits of scientific investments made during the Great Recession of 2008. He is one of the leaders who spearheaded the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) to fight the misuse of journal impact factor metric. He contributed to the NIH revision of the peer review system and to the development of the key public access policy for NIH funded research, which started the Open Access movement in scholarly publishing.

Most recently, Bertuzzi led 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ's efforts to address the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This included working directly with the White House COVID-19 Task Force, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase access to diagnostic testing supplies and address roadblocks to coronavirus testing. Bertuzzi penned a  and an  outlining testing roadblocks and emphasizing the need for microbiologists and other scientists to support clinical laboratories to help contain the pandemic.

He has authored numerous research publications, editorials and science policy pieces in top journals and is recipient of many national and international awards. Bertuzzi is a thoughtful leader in science, a fellow of the prestigious Aspen Institute and a member of the Cosmos Club. In 2020, the President of the Italian Republic bestowed upon Bertuzzi the title of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, one of the highest honors in the Italian Republic.

George Breeden, CAE, is the Chief Learning and Innovation Officer for the American Society for Microbiology. He has worked in technology leadership in the nonprofit industry for more than 30 years, starting with the American Society for Association Executives. Immediately prior to joining 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, Breeden was the CIO for the Investment Company Institute.

Breeden is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and serves as a commissioner on the CAE Commission. Additionally, he volunteers as an emergency medical technician as a member of the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad and is a volunteer ski patroller at Canaan Valley, W.Va.

Breeden holds an MBA and a masters in nonprofit management (MNM) from the University of Maryland, Global Campus.

Chris DeCesaris, CPA, is the Chief Operating Officer of the American Society for Microbiology. Prior to joining 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, he served in various financial positions at National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

DeCesaris began his career at the public accounting firm Grant Thornton, where he served nearly 30 nonprofit clients. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Maryland.

Melissa Junior serves as the Chief Publishing Officer for the American Society for Microbiology (91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ). As Chief Publishing Officer, she oversees consolidation of the Society's 15 journals and 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Press books under 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Publishing. She also led the transition to a Subscribe to Open (S2O) publishing model for the 2025 subscription year for 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ's 6 subscription journal titles. Junior brings more than 30 years of expertise in scientific publishing, including 12 years leading 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Journals.

Junior graduated with a B.A. in English and French from Dickinson College in 1989. She earned an MBA from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in 2004.

Anirban Mahapatra, Ph.D., is the Chief Science and Global Strategy Officer of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ. He joined the organization as Editorial Director of scientific journals in 2022. Mahapatra's professional goals are to grow diverse scientific communities, to help scientists share research advances and to communicate how science benefits the planet and humanity.

Prior to joining 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, Mahapatra led an editorial team at the American Chemical Society that oversaw the business and editorial targets for a portfolio of scientific journals spanning multiple disciplines.

In a career spanning 15+ years in scientific publishing, he has proposed and launched 15 scientific journals, including ACS Synthetic Biology, a PROSE Award winner, ACS Infectious Diseases and 7 ACS Applied Materials journals. He has also spearheaded global outreach efforts and collaborative alliances with scientific institutions in India and China that have led to joint meetings and partnered journals.

Mahapatra is passionate about bridging the gap between scientific research and public awareness. He is a published author and an engaging speaker who has provided insight in print, audio and on TV for numerous international news platforms. As an acknowledged expert, his writing appears in multiple media outlets.

In his scientific career, Mahapatra's research led to a landmark biological discovery of an expanded genetic code, influencing textbooks and offering potential for future applications in medicine and chemistry. He received his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in microbiology from The Ohio State University.

Allen Segal, J.D., is the Chief Strategy and Public Affairs Officer for the American Society for Microbiology. Segal joined the American Society for Microbiology in July 2018 as Chief Advocacy Officer. In his current capacity, he is responsible for overseeing 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s communications, public and policymaker engagement and Governance activities.

In addition to his role as part of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s executive leadership team, Segal is the President-Elect of the Coalition for Health Funding, the oldest and largest nonprofit alliance working to preserve and strengthen public health in the U.S. He also served on the board of directors for ScienceCounts, an organization dedicated to enhancing public awareness and support for scientific research.

Segal joined 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ after 7 years with the Society for Neuroscience, where he served as Senior Director, Policy and Member programs. In that capacity, he oversaw departments responsible for the bulk of SfN’s programmatic functions, including advocacy and animals in research activities, as well as the development of a scientific training program. Prior to joining SfN, Segal served as the Director of Federal Affairs for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. He also developed expertise in federal budget and appropriations work while advocating for the American Cancer Society. He began his career in government relations working on federal employee and postal issues for the National Association of Letter Carriers and served as federal legislative director at the National Association of Home Builders.

Segal holds a Juris Doctor from the American University, Washington College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in American Government from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is also a Certified Association of Executive (CAE).

Amalia Corby, M.S., joined the American Society for Microbiology as a senior federal affairs officer in 2020. Today, she serves as 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s Director of Federal Affairs. In her role, Corby leads the organization’s policy development, congressional and federal agency outreach. She brings more than a decade of experience of science and social policy and advocacy, in addition to time served in the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government. She earned her master's degree in epidemiology from the Medical College of Wisconsin and her bachelor’s degree in political science and French from the University of Wisconsin. 

Janet Hedrick joined the American Society for Microbiology (91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ) in June 2017 as the Director, Membership & Engagement. She has worked exclusively for non-profit associations during her career, previously serving as the Director, Member Services with the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA).
 
Hedrick has 20+ years as an association executive working on membership engagement, marketing, fundraising and data management strategies. She has spearheaded the development of creative membership and volunteer programs, managed committee and chapter relations and guided the systems implementation of numerous association software platforms. She has an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Spanish from Virginia Tech. 
 

Irene Hulede is the Director of Education at the American Society for Microbiology. In her role, she is responsible for developing strategic goals to advance education, professional and career development in the microbial sciences, and executing policies and practices to achieve its goals. She oversees the development and implementation of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ education initiatives and helps lead 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ efforts that promote a culture of inclusion to achieve diversity in science.

She is co-principal investigator of ABRCMS, 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s signature STEM conference; principal investigator of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ MOSAIC Program and serves on national external advisory committees of several organizations including the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP), Understanding Inventions and the Leadership Alliance.

Prior to joining 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, Hulede held several positions at Bentley University, Student Affairs Division, where she led university wide student and faculty development programs. She was instrumental in launching diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Bentley University.

She holds a B.S. degree in economics-finance and a certificate in human resources management from Bentley University, Waltham, Mass. She joined the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Education Department in 1994.

 

Aleea Khan joined 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ in 2015 as the media relations manager and now serves as 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ's Director of Marketing and Communications. In this role, she leads strategic communications across advocacy, global health, executive visibility, media relations, web/digital platforms and brand storytelling, all with the goal of strengthening the organization's voice and impact.

With more than 15 years of experience in health communications, Khan previously served as a communications and media expert at the National Institutes of Health. Throughout her career, she has guided high-profile campaigns that address critical public health issues, helping translate complex science into clear, compelling messages that resonate with broad audiences.

Khan holds a B.S. degree in Biology and Psychology from Virgina Tech.

Wes Kim, Ph.D., is the Director of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ's Global Public Health Programs, which build microbiology laboratory capacity in low-resource settings. Prior to joining 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, Kim was a senior program officer at the Pew Charitable Trusts, where he led policy and advocacy initiatives to address challenges in antimicrobial resistance drug discovery.

Kim also spent 10 years as a management consultant at PRTM/PwC, supporting his clients in business strategy and operations in pharma/life sciences and global public health including business development, portfolio management, strategic partnerships, market assessments and product development.

Kim obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and his MBA from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Amy Kullas, Ph.D., is the American Society for Microbiology (91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ)'s Director, Ethics. Kullas is responsible for oversight and management of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ's organizational ethics policies and procedures program. She oversees and facilitates the reporting process, discussions and resolution of allegations relating to science ethics, misconduct and harassment. Kullas came to 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ from the National Institutes of Health, where she had been an intramural research fellow with the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology from Stony Brook University.

Dr. Nguyen K. Nguyen joined 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ as the Director, American Academy of Microbiology in August 2019. Before 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, Nguyen was the Associate Director for Science & Practice Programs at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) where he served for three years to bring together clinical laboratory scientists to pioneer scientific programs at AACC.
 
Before AACC, Nguyen was the Partnership Development and Relations Manager at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR).  In this role, Nguyen managed the partnership mechanism to foster scientific collaboration and transfer technologies and expertise of the National Laboratory to the scientific & business communities. Nguyen also directed the Visiting Scholar Program to bring in prominent researchers to FNLCR to exchange expertise. At the beginning of his career, Nguyen was selected as a Science & Technology Policy Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He served as the Futures Advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) working on strategic planning, foresight research, and data analytics.
 
Nguyen received his Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and his B.S. degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
 

Sharon Oluga, CPA, is 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ's Director of Financial Operations and manages all aspects of accounting, as well as audit and tax. Her experience spans the private and public accounting sector, where she began her accounting career with a focus on nonprofits, both domestic and multinational.

Oluga's experience in public accounting exposed her to various kinds of tax-exempt entities in international development, education, public health, disaster relief, etc. Prior to joining 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, she served as a Senior Director of Financial Reporting at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Oluga holds a bachelor's degree from Towson University and an M.B.A. from the University of Baltimore. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Maryland.

Jennifer Tomb joined the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Meetings Department in Sept. 2015. Prior to 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ, she directed scientific programs and meetings operations at the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Tomb has over 20 years of experience in the meetings industry. 

Tomb received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certified Exposition Manager (CEM).
 

Nancy Wamburu, M.S., has a master’s degree in microbiology and immunology from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, where her thesis centered on the impact that antibiotics administered to food animals have on antibiotic resistance in humans.

Wamburu has been working in clinical microbiology for the past 16 years, both in hospital and reference laboratories, where her main areas of interest have been nosocomial infections, antimicrobial resistance and infection prevention. Her most recent experience has been with start-up laboratories, providing technical oversight for diagnostic testing and pursuing accreditations/licensing from the College of American Pathologists and other agencies.

Stacey Webb, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, joined the American Society for Microbiology as Director of People in 2026, where she oversees human resources strategy and operations. Her responsibilities span talent management, employee relations, compensation, benefits and organizational effectiveness.

With more than 20 years of human resources experience, primarily with nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, Stacey has held senior HR leadership roles partnering with executive teams to strengthen HR governance, modernize people systems and align workforce strategy with organizational goals.

She holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree in human relations from Trinity Washington University. In addition, she maintains dual senior-level HR certifications: Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).