Impossible Foods: Hires Chief Science Officer

Redwood City / CA. (ifi) Impossible Foods Inc. announced the hiring of Vanderbilt University Biochemistry Department Chair Dr. John D. York, Ph.D. as Chief Science Officer at the world’s leading food technology startup.

Considered the top environmental startup, Impossible Foods’ mission is to turn back the clock on global warming, stop the extinction crisis and fix the global public health emergency by making our global food system sustainable. Impossible Foods’ scientists’ best known achievement to date, Impossible™ Burger, tastes like beef and is hailed as a triumph of food engineering — the result of nearly a decade of basic science and hard-core research and development in the company’s headquarters in California’s Silicon Valley.

Under York’s leadership, Impossible Foods will continue to build its food technology platform and expand basic research capabilities to accelerate next-generation products. The company also plans to continue to invest heavily in R+D, doubling the number of scientists on the team within a year.

York’s first day at Impossible Foods will be Jan. 4. He will serve on Impossible Foods’ senior leadership team and oversee research and development, and product innovation. He will report directly to Impossible Foods CEO and Founder Dr. Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D.

«Throughout his career, John has contributed to discoveries in biochemistry thanks to his curiosity and risk tolerance,» said Brown, Stanford University Professor Emeritus. «Just as important, he’s a proven and strong mentor and team leader. I’m confident that John will make an immediate, positive contribution and quickly become an inspiring role model within our expanding R+D team.»

Biochemistry leader, protein engineering pioneer

York, a former Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has led the Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University since 2012. His team paved the way for discoveries in protein structure and function, cell signaling and molecular genetics. York’s laboratory studies cellular signaling networks; it defined an evolutionarily conserved intracellular code required for the proper adaptation of cells and development of organisms. York’s team helped discover how cells enhance signaling specificity through generation of diverse chemical messengers.

The Midwest native, who will relocate from Tennessee to California, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology and Biochemistry from Washington University in Saint Louis.

«The opportunity to use biochemistry to save the planet is a spectacular motivation,» York said. «That Impossible Foods is rooted in discovery science and engineering as a key innovation platform resonates with my core values and life-long pursuits in research. It’s an honor and privilege to be part of the team, and I look forward to the limitless future possibilities.»