Mary O’Reilly, Ph.D.

Vice President, Bioscience Research Programs

Mary O’Reilly oversees the Foundation’s basic and translational research programs, and serves as the Foundation’s lead official in interfacing with the scientific-research community. She also guides the Foundation’s interest in emerging grant opportunities in the biomedical-research sector and measures to assess the impact of Arizona’s investments in the biosciences.

Mary joined the Foundation in 2018 after serving as a senior executive at Science Foundation Arizona, where she developed and managed a portfolio of research investments, worked across the academic, industry, government, and philanthropy sectors, and built out the Bisgrove Scholars Program, which supports post-doctoral and early-career faculty establishing research portfolios in Arizona. In addition, Mary brings experience in research and development and product commercialization. A native of Ireland who moved to the United States in 2002, Mary also has worked for a Scottsdale-based renewable energy startup, a multinational electronics-manufacturing company in Ireland and Chicago, and as a scientist at Tyndall National Institute in Cork, Ireland.

Mary earned her doctorate in chemistry/materials science from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland and the Joint Research Center, Petten, the Netherlands. She received a Master of Science in technology management from the Smurfit Business School at University College Dublin, and her Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in England.

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