As the Global Vegetables R&D Lead at Monsanto, John Purcell works closely with teams of researchers and scientists looking at ways to breed and cultivate vegetables that are more appealing, nutritious and can be grown using fewer resources. He has dedicated nearly three decades to helping farmers safely and sustainably grow food using less of the earth’s natural resources. Over the course of his career at Monsanto, Purcell’s work and research has taken him to more than 35 countries around the world to work with and learn from farmers in their fields. Prior to joining Monsanto, John was a post-doctoral researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture.

Purcell’s Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology was granted from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and focused on studies in Insect Biochemistry. He is an inventor on several patents and an author of numerous scientific papers, reviews and book chapters.