Patricia Hand, Ph.D. was the Principal Investigator for the Maine Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Maine INBRE) from its inception in 2001 until 2015. Her significant scientific and administrative experience with multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional biomedical research and training programs developed this state-wide network to include 13 research and academic institutions that work together to strengthen biomedical research capacity and competitiveness in Maine.

During her INBRE tenure, Dr. Hand led Maine INBRE’s participation in the Northeast Cyberinfrastructure Consortium, was the Associate Director of MDI Biological Laboratory’s NIH-funded Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), served on the Steering Committee of the UMaine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, and was Vice-Chair of the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board.

Regionally and nationally, she has served as Chair of the New Hampshire INBRE External Advisory Committee, as a member of the Steering Committee for the Biennial National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence (NISBRE) Conference, a Council Member for the National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators, and on the National EPSCoR/IDeA Coalition Board of Directors.

Dr. Hand’s research career at the National Cancer Institute at the NIH focused on improving the immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy of human cancers, including the development of vaccines for cancer therapy. These preclinical translational studies resulted in two patents and 94 publications, and contributed to the initiation and progression of several clinical trials.