Editorial Team
John Sterling, Editor in Chief 
John joined GEN as an assistant editor in 1984 and was promoted to Editor-in-Chief in 1985. He holds a B.S. in Biology from The City College of New York and a Master of Arts in journalism from the University of Minnesota. John also was a graduate student at Hunter College where he majored in biological anthropology, focusing on the morphological and genetic aspects of human evolution.
He is an active member of the National Association of Science Writers-and the American Association of Anthropological Genetics. He has received journalism fellowships from the University of Minnesota, the University of Maryland, and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech University. John served as co-chair of the program committee for the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual conference in Chicago in 2010. The event marked the first time a member of the media served as a co-chair for BIO (which is now known as the Biotechnology Innovation Organization).
John is a former intercollegiate ice hockey player who was inducted into the CCNY Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019. John – still lives and dies with the New York Rangers.
Kevin Davies, PhD, Editorial Director
Kevin has more than three decades’ experience in science publishing as an editor, journalist, author and publisher. He is the founding editor of Nature Genetics and Bio-IT World magazine and also served as Editor-in-Chief of Cell Press and publisher of Chemical & Engineering News. He joined the GEN team in 2017 and was promoted to Editorial Director in 2023. In addition to working with GEN, Kevin spearheaded the launch in 2018 of The CRISPR Journal. In 2022, he led the launch of GEN Biotechnology, the new marquee peer-review journal that bears the GEN logo.
Kevin is the author (or co-author) of five popular science books including Cracking the Genome, The $1,000 Genome, and an updated version of DNA: The Story of the Genetic Revolution (with James D. Watson and Andrew Berry). In 2017, Kevin won a Guggenheim fellowship in science writing to support a new book, Editing Humanity: The CRISPR Revolution and the New Era of Genome Editing, published in September 2020.
Kevin holds a degree in Biochemistry from Oxford University and a PhD in Human Genetics from St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London. He held postdoctoral fellowships at MIT and Harvard Medical School before joining the editorial staff at Nature. He is based in Washington DC and still clings to a British accent.
Julianna LeMieux, Deputy Editor in Chief
Julianna received her PhD in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Tufts University School of Medicine, where she studied Streptococcus pneumoniae, followed by a postdoc at MIT, working on the nematode C. elegans. She then spent several years teaching as an assistant professor, during which she realized her passion for science communication. She has been writing ever since and joined the editorial team at GEN in 2018.
She served as a faculty member in the Citizen Science program at Bard College both on campus and at the Taconic Correctional Facility through the Bard prison initiative. She currently teaches microbiology at City College of New York.
Julianna lives in New York and loves exploring the city with her family. She crossed the finish line of the NYC marathon in 2017 and 2018.
Corinna Singleman, PhD, Managing Editor
Corinna joined the GEN and IPM teams in 2024 as a passionate science communicator. She earned her PhD in Biology from The Graduate Center, CUNY, studying the impacts of PCBs and TCDD contamination in the Hudson River on endangered Atlantic surgeon and zebrafish. Her strong educational background in STEM and continuous commitment to educating and informing a broad audience have equipped her with the ability to translate complex concepts into clear, accessible content. She uses this experience to bridge the ever-widening gap between the scientific community and the rest of the world by teaching, writing, and working on projects that directly impact others. Corinna is dedicated to promoting effective communication that fosters collaboration across diverse teams and organizations.
In her free time, Corinna enjoys hiking, foraging, kickboxing, creating art, and spending time with her family.
Alex Philippidis, Senior Business Editor
Alex Philippidis specializes in biopharma business news and industry issues as Senior Business Editor for GEN / Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, and its publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., a Part of Sage.
Alex joined GEN in 2011 after four years at GenomeWeb, where he covered research institutes and spent three years following biotech economic development as editor of the weekly newsletter BioRegion News.
Previously, Alex worked more than 20 years for various newspapers covering business, science, Navy, and general-interest news, including the Westchester County Business Journal, where he served as Editor-in-Chief and held reporting positions from 1994 to 2007. Earlier, Alex reported news for Soundings, an independent newspaper covering the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in Norfolk, VA, from 1992-1993; and for Gannett Suburban Newspapers (now The Journal News) in White Plains, NY, from 1987-1992.
Alex has been interviewed and quoted by news outlets that include The New York Times, the BBC, WCBS-TV (CBS2 New York), Triad Business Journal, and WHYY-FM, the NPR station serving the Philadelphia region. He has delivered presentations before the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC), Builds Bio+ (NY Metro), California Biomanufacturing Center, and Roundtable Japan.
In addition, Alex has moderated or guested on panels for the BIO International Convention, Biotech Showcase, AURP, Builds Bio+ (New York Metro and Philadelphia), and several conferences hosted by LSX.
In his spare time, Alex enjoys solving crossword puzzles, watching classic TV game shows, and traveling with his family.
Uduak Thomas, Senior Editor, Educational
Uduak joined GEN in 2023 as a senior editor after working as a consulting science writer and editor. Before that she worked as a writer and editor for a New York City-based think tank and as an editor at GenomeWeb where she wrote extensively about bioinformatics and computational biology news and trends in industry and academia for several years. Her writing has also been featured in the IEEE Bits Magazine. She has a BA from Calvin University and an MA from New York University. Outside of work, she can be found listening to podcasts or audiobooks, watching debates on everything from politics to pop culture, playing word games, and going on long walks with her dog.
Savannah Wiegel, Associate Editor
Savannah joined GEN and IPM in 2025 as associate editor, bringing a multidisciplinary background in molecular biology, narrative medicine, and global health. She began her science communication career as a genetics researcher and student writer at Hendrix College, where she earned a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and received recognition for Outstanding Oral Presentation at the South Eastern Regional Yeast Meeting (SERYM). During and after her time at Hendrix, she gained hands-on experience in various clinical settings.
In 2021, Savannah was awarded a Watson Fellowship to explore the intersection of storytelling and global health initiatives across six countries, focusing on women’s and reproductive health, trauma, and mental wellbeing. She also served as a mentee with the National Association of Science Writers and was named a finalist for the Institute of Current World Affairs (ICWA) fellowship in health journalism. Before joining GEN, she led narrative medicine workshops and authored grant proposals supporting major health equity initiatives.
Now based in New York City, she’s passionate about integrative health, science education, and uncovering the human stories behind innovation.
She once lived in six countries in a single year, gathering health stories with nothing but a backpack, a notebook, and an endless supply of curiosity.
Production Team
Katherine Vuksanaj, Online Editorial Manager
Katherine has more than 30 years of experience in publishing and over a decade in the life sciences. She joined GEN and Inside Precision Medicine (formerly Clinical OMICs) in July 2014. She previously spent 17 years with The McGraw-Hill Companies, where she held roles in IT support and the Database Operations department, and served eight years at BusinessWeek magazine as an Online Production Manager.
In her free time, Katherine enjoys spending time with family, relaxing at the beach, reading, and watching movies.
Byron Duque, Creative Manager
Byron is Creative Manager for GEN. He has 12 years of experience in graphic design working on a variety of print and web design projects. He strives to make visual information simple and easy to understand, no matter the complexity or medium. He’s very passionate about art & design and always aims to deliver the most effective visual solution to the highest standards.
