Dr. Nathaniel (Nathan) Boyd, an Atlanta native, began his academic career at Georgia State University (GSU), where he received his B.S. and M.S. in cell biology and immunology. He then moved to Birmingham, Alabama to pursue his Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he received numerous service, leadership, and research awards, including the nationally-recognized National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31 National Research Service Award (NRSA). While at UAB, Dr. Boyd contributed to significant advances in brain tumor research involving cancer stem cell and tumor microenvironments within the grade IV brain tumor glioblastoma. After graduating, Nathan completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University where he continued his work to better understand brain tumors, including supporting efforts in a phase 0 clinical trial. After 10 years of academic research, Dr. Boyd transitioned to a career in policy through a prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program (STPF). In this role at the Office of Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) Laboratories and Personnel (L&PO), Dr. Boyd is developing retention strategies for underrepresented groups within the defense laboratories and coordinates the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) outreach & partnership strategy. Dr. Boyd also devotes significant personal time to his passions working to create awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health among professionals in STEM. Nathan is outgoing Vice President of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Georgia Chapter and a volunteer for Science for Georgia, an AAAS Local Science Engagement partner (LSEN), where he is actively involved in community engagement.