Tiffany Oliver holds the distinction of Carnegie and Rockefeller Distinguished Research Scholar and serves as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Spelman College. She earned her B.S. in Biology from Tennessee State University and her Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Oliver is a leader in the field of genetics; she has applied her skills in computer programming and bioinformatics to the understanding of mechanisms underlying meiotic nondisjunction. Her research has been instrumental in identifying genetic variation in the gene PRDM9 that is associated with both the altered number and placement recombinant events on chromosome 21, linking variation in PRDM9 with the risk for meiotic chromosome nondisjunction and diseases like Down Syndrome. Dr. Oliver’s research has also been instrumental in the identification of genetic variants underlying antibiotic resistance and virulence. Her research and programs have been supported by the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation, and her current research aims to identify biological pathways used by near-infrared light that prevent cell death. Dr. Oliver merges her passion for scientific research with her dedication to increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by creating and/or directing several undergraduate research programs, including Spelman’s Inaugural Virtual Data Science Summer Research Program, which garnered much attention in her recent TEDTalk entitled "Creating Diverse and Equitable Initiatives in Data Science."

Department of State Profile

Office of Global Food Security

As an Advisor in the Office of Global Food Security at the U.S. State Department, Dr. Oliver's work supports the implementation of the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), a partnership between the U.S. State Department, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), and the African Union (AU), the overarching goal of which is to promote agricultural productivity and nutrition by modeling investments that support the development of diverse, climate resistant crops, and healthy soils. To date, she has created and implemented programming that connects small holder farmers, and scientists from academia, the public and private sectors, and more to individuals seeking technical expertise and/or collaboration related to global food security. She also directs the investment of U.S. and foreign financial and scientific expertise to shape policies and actions that promote global food security in the face of climate change, while mobilizing resources and connecting stakeholders invested in food security, nutrition, and biodiversity to a shared vision.