Washington Research Foundation appoints Dr. Orin S. Levine as new President and CEO

Former leader at Gates Foundation and Johns Hopkins will head WRF following current CEO Tom Daniel's retirement in October 2025

SEATTLE, Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has appointed Dr. Orin S. Levine as its new President and CEO. Dr. Levine is an internationally recognized leader in public health and innovation who has been tapped to join WRF on October 6 following the retirement of current President and CEO Dr. Tom Daniel.

Dr. Levine brings more than two decades of experience in bridging science, policy and philanthropy to his leadership of WRF, which has a mission to improve the lives of people in Washington state and beyond through its grants and investments in local life sciences research and commercialization efforts. WRF awarded nearly $16 million in grants to nonprofit research institutions in Washington state during its most recent fiscal year, and has provided more than $182 million in total grants since its founding in 1981.

Dr. Levine's career includes roles in philanthropy, academia and government. In his most recent full-time role, Dr. Levine served as a senior leader at the Gates Foundation—first as Director of Vaccine Delivery, then as Senior Director of the Global Delivery Program—overseeing global immunization and primary healthcare initiatives. He represented the Gates Foundation for nine years on the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Board of Trustees for the Sabin Vaccine Institute.

Dr. Levine's career began in 1994 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service and then as a staff epidemiologist in the Respiratory Diseases Branch, after graduating with a Ph.D. in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University.

Following five years of CDC service, Dr. Levine joined the National Institutes of Health as an epidemiologist, working on pneumococcal vaccines in the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In 2002, he joined the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he cofounded the International Vaccine Access Center with Professor Katherine O'Brien, M.D., dedicated to accelerating vaccine access for children in low-income countries. The program secured more than $100 million in grants from the Gates Foundation and Gavi under their leadership. He left the university as a full tenured Professor in 2012.

Dr. Levine has held a number of other leadership roles including presiding over the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene's Committee on Global Health and leading one of the key committees of the Decade of Vaccines Collaboration.

Dr. Daniel has led WRF since 2022, during which time he shaped and implemented the Foundation's ambitious five-year strategic plan and oversaw approximately $44 million in grant disbursements.

"Under Tom's leadership, WRF has become a widely recognized philanthropic organization in the region's life sciences space," Brooks Simpson, WRF's Board Chair, said. "Now we look forward to Orin's time at the helm, and a continuation of this trajectory with our collaborators and partners at a time when state and federal budgets are being challenged. Orin's experience and exceptional leadership on the global healthcare stage will serve WRF and the region well as we navigate these uncharted waters. Thank you, Tom, for your stewardship over the past three years, and welcome, Orin."

"I love innovation and WRF has a remarkable legacy of helping researchers turn bold ideas into innovations that improve lives," Dr. Levine said. "I'm excited by the organization's ambition and for the opportunity to work with the team and our partners to help Washington's life sciences ecosystem reach even greater heights."

About Washington Research Foundation:

Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.

WRF was founded in 1981 to assist universities and other nonprofit research institutions in Washington with the commercialization and licensing of their technologies. WRF became one of the foremost technology transfer organizations in the nation, earning more than $445 million in licensing revenue for the University of Washington. To date, WRF has provided over $182 million in grants to the state's research institutions.

WRF Capital, the investment vehicle for Washington Research Foundation, has backed 132 local startups since 1996. Returns support the Foundation's grantmaking and investment programs.

For additional information, please visit wrfseattle.org.

Media contact:
Dale Wadman
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (206) 336-5600

SOURCE WASHINGTON RESEARCH FOUNDATION