• 2018 HENAAC Luminary •

During his eleven years of scientific research and management working for Leidos Life Sciences, Dr. Gabriel M. Gutierrez has been dedicated to solving the some of the world’s most challenging problems.

As Senior Life Sciences Program Manager not only serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) for the multi-million dollar USAID Malaria Vaccine Development Program—battling against a disease that annually claims countless lives in the third world—he also serves as the Strategic Lead for the Life Sciences Virtual Pharma Program.  In that position he directs a team of 12 scientists and project personnel responsible for developing a novel immunomodulatory small-peptide therapeutic portfolio that is used across a broad spectrum of disease indications.

 The work performed by Dr. Gutierrez and his team has led to clinical trials for five malaria vaccines and three patents related to novel vaccine and drug biotechnologies.  These patents have become viable intellectual property for the company, led to his designation as a Leidos Technical Fellow, and earned he and his team a “Tech Innovator of the Year” recognition at the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Innovation Awards.

Growing up in Chicago as the third son of Mexican immigrants, Dr. Gutierrez already showed the promise that would lead him to become a respected medical researcher specializing in genetics, cancer research, and vaccine development. Academic summer camps and a scholarship to a Catholic high school enabled his development beyond his family’s limited means. In college at Loyola University - Chicago, Dr. Gutierrez focused on the study of biology because he thought it would allow him to make a difference in people’s lives.

He completed his B.S. degree in Biology and immediately pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut with the support from the New England Board of Higher Education’s Compact for Faculty Diversity Fellowship. After receiving his Ph.D., he went on to conduct postdoctoral studies at Harvard and Tufts Universities before joining Leidos.

Dr. Gutierrez regularly volunteers his time as a translator for Spanish speaking immigrants with legal and administrative challenges. And he serves as a mentor for younger Leidos employees as they further their careers in helping solve the world’s problems.