Rob Bertram is the Chief Scientist in USAID’s Bureau for Food Security, where he serves as a key adviser on a range of technical and program issues to advance global food security and nutrition. He previously served as Director of the Office of Agricultural Research and Policy in the Bureau for Food Security, which leads implementation of the Feed the Future research strategy and related efforts to scale innovations in global food security efforts, working with a range of partners. Bertram studied plant breeding and genetics, and has degrees from University of California, Davis, the University of Minnesota and the University of Maryland. He has been active in plant genetic resources policy as it relates to research for development, including applications of biotechnology in food security-related research. Before coming to USAID, he served with USDA’s international programs as well as overseas with the CGIAR system.