Dr. Tracy Teal Becomes First CEO of openRxiv to Promote Open Science

Dr. Tracy Teal Becomes CEO of openRxiv

In a landmark move to advance open science, openRxiv has appointed Dr. Tracy Teal as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer. Following an extensive international selection process, the Board of Directors made this critical decision, recognizing Dr. Teal's pivotal role in the establishment of the organization. Since March 2025, she has served as the interim Chief Operating Officer, helping steer the company through its formative stages while overseeing the management of bioRxiv and medRxiv, two of the leading preprint servers available today.

Dr. John Inglis, co-founder of bioRxiv and medRxiv, emphasized the significance of this appointment, stating, "Dr. Teal's contributions during the launch phase were exceptional and integral to our success. Her experience as a scientist and her leadership within the nonprofit sector have made her a trusted figure among our team and partners. She is uniquely qualified to lead openRxiv forward."

A Rich Academic Background

Before her appointment, Dr. Teal built an impressive academic profile. She began her scholarly journey at UCLA, where she earned her master’s degree in biology, later obtaining a Ph.D. from Caltech in Computation and Neural Systems. Her expertise in bioinformatics, which intersects data science and biology, positions her well to address the challenges and opportunities in modern scientific research.

As an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, she fostered the integration of computational methodologies into biological research, thus enhancing the learning experience for her students and advancing the field.

Leadership in Open Science Initiatives

Recognizing the necessity for researchers to acquire data skills, Dr. Teal co-founded Data Carpentry, which focuses on providing essential data training for academics. Subsequently, she took the helm as Executive Director at The Carpentries, enhancing its infrastructure and broadening its reach to over 60 countries, thereby empowering numerous researchers with vital training resources.

In her quest to promote open science, Dr. Teal also led Dryad, an organization dedicated to sharing research data openly, and served as the Open Source Program Director at RStudio/Posit. Her work has been pivotal in fostering inclusive practices and sustainable governance within the open science ecosystem.

Vision for openRxiv

As the new CEO, Dr. Teal aims to solidify and expand the impact of openRxiv, particularly through its bioRxiv and medRxiv platforms. These platforms allow scientists to disseminate their findings rapidly, empowering them to share advancements transparently with the global research community. "We are in an exciting era for preprints, and I am committed to enhancing our services to better align with the needs of researchers and the public," she stated after her appointment.

As interim COO, Dr. Teal played an instrumental role in transitioning preprint operations from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to the nonprofit domain, focusing on the growth and sustainability of the platforms under her guidance.

In her new position, Dr. Teal will concentrate on strengthening the infrastructure that underpins the millions of researchers who rely on openRxiv for sharing their work. This includes enhancing interoperability with existing scholarly systems and forging partnerships to increase the reach and effectiveness of preprint submissions.

The Future of Open Science

openRxiv, classified as a 501(c)(3) organization, is dedicated to ensuring that the scientific community can share its research efficiently and effectively. Dr. Teal's leadership is expected to drive significant change within the open science landscape, particularly as the value of preprint sharing becomes more recognized and utilized across various research disciplines.

For those looking to learn more about Dr. Teal and her vision for openRxiv, detailed information can be found on the organization's official blog. The commitment to rapid and transparent dissemination of research findings is more crucial than ever, and under Dr. Teal's stewardship, openRxiv is poised to lead the charge in promoting open science.

For further inquiries or interview requests, media representatives can reach out to Jamie Grabert at [email protected]