Santiago Schnell, D.Phil.

Santiago Schnell was appointed the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., in September 2021. He also holds a tenured appointment as professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. As dean of the College of Science, Schnell guides the college to fulfill its mission to prepare the scientific leaders of tomorrow and its commitment to fostering advancements that answer the world’s toughest questions and solve its most enduring problems.

Previously, Schnell led the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology to become one of the top National Institutes of Health-funded physiology department in the nation. He also led strong growth in the department’s operating revenue and investments as well as a significant increase in its endowment. In addition to serving as department chair, Schnell was the John A. Jacquez Professor of Physiology and a professor of molecular and integrative physiology as well as computational medicine and bioinformatics.

Schnell received his undergraduate degree in biology from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela and earned his doctorate in mathematical biology from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. After completing his doctoral studies, he held two prestigious research positions at Oxford — junior research fellow at the Christ Church college and Wellcome Trust research fellow at the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology.