Dr. Namandjé N. Bumpus joined Charles River Laboratories in 2026 as Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific and Innovation Officer. In this role, Dr. Bumpus leads the Company’s scientific strategy, oversees research and development initiatives, and advances innovation to support clients in accelerating the drug development process. She also leads the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board, which provides guidance to strengthen its commercial and regulatory strategy, and is also focused on developing and accelerating the adoption of NAMs across the biopharmaceutical industry.
Prior to joining Charles River, Dr. Bumpus joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 as Chief Scientist and later served as the agency’s Principal Deputy Commissioner through 2024. Before joining the FDA, she was Professor and Director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Bumpus has received several honors, including the Presidential Early Career Award, the John J. Abel Award, and the Leon I. Goldberg Award, and is a past president of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Bumpus holds a B.A. in Biology from Occidental College and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan Medical School.