The Company of Biologists welcomes Dan Shanahan as new Chief Executive Officer
14 September 2026
The Company of Biologists is delighted to announce the appointment of Dan Shanahan as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 14 September 2026.
Dan brings a wealth of publishing expertise and a proven track record of advancing open science initiatives that align closely with the Company's mission to support biologists and inspire biology worldwide. With extensive experience across leading organisations in scholarly publishing, including Springer Nature, F1000, Cochrane and most recently as Publishing Director at PLOS, Dan has consistently championed innovation, accessibility and community engagement. His deep understanding of Open Access publishing and non-profit leadership, combined with his ability to navigate the evolving scholarly landscape, positions him ideally to guide the Company through its next phase of development.
Sarah Bray, Chair of the Board of Directors at The Company of Biologists says: “We are delighted to welcome Dan Shanahan to the Company as the new CEO. The Company of Biologists has played an important role in the biological community for over 100 years and we look forward to working with Dan as we continue to build a sustainable and successful future for the Company. Alongside his experience of building and maintaining networks in the ever-changing scholarly publishing landscape, his enthusiasm and vision are very much in line with our long-term goals of supporting biologists and inspiring biology.”
The Company of Biologists works across all areas of biology, with the aim of supporting the advancement of biological research. Through its journals, grants and events, the organisation aims to deliver excellent and accessible content that researchers want to read, share, discuss and build upon. The Company’s community-driven policies play an important role in their commitment to all stakeholders, ranging from researchers to institutional partners.
Dan Shanahan: “I'm excited to be joining The Company of Biologists and to have the opportunity to contribute to such a remarkable organisation. It occupies a unique position within the biological sciences, combining strong connections across the research community with a long-standing commitment to supporting biology through both its journals and charitable activities.
I look forward to getting to know the people and communities The Company of Biologists serves, and to working with them to build on its legacy, explore new opportunities and help shape its next chapter in support of the wider scientific community.”
Dan Shanahan succeeds Claire Moulton, who retired from her role as CEO of The Company of Biologists at the end of July.
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About The Company of Biologists
The Company of Biologists is a not-for-profit publishing organisation dedicated to supporting and inspiring the biological community. The Company publishes five specialist peer-reviewed journals: Development, Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open. It offers further support to the biological community by facilitating scientific meetings, providing travel grants for researchers and supporting research societies. The Company of Biologists is committed to Open Access publishing and has cost-neutral Read & Publish agreements with a large number of library consortia and institutions, offering funder-compliant publishing options to authors around the world.
Contact
Katie Ward
Chief Financial Officer & Charity Director
The Company of Biologists
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-company-of-biologists
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