Ruth Shuman joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2009. Prior to joining NSF, she founded and was president and CEO of a successful venture backed life science company, Gentra Systems Inc., that developed, manufactured and sold products for genetic testing and research to clinical and research laboratories worldwide. Following Gentra's acquisition, Ruth held consulting and advisory positions with multiple startup companies and was a CEO-in-Residence for Life Sciences with the University of Minnesota's Venture Center, where she evaluated the business potential of university-
developed technology. Ruth began her career as a faculty member at North Carolina State University and is a pioneer in the development of gene transfer and genetic engineering technology. She holds a doctorate in genetics and cell biology from the University of Minnesota.