Neal Milch elected chair of The Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees

(Bar Harbor, Maine – Sept. 17, 2025) — The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) today announced the election of Neal Milch, global business executive, entrepreneur, and innovator, as chair of its Board of Trustees. Milch succeeds Timothy Dattels, who led the Board through a period of significant growth and strategic investment.

At Laundrylux, Milch led the consolidation of multiple brands under a unified identity, expanded the company’s market presence through strategic acquisitions, and championed the adoption of emerging technologies to drive innovation. His leadership style is defined by a “people-first” philosophy and a commitment to cultivating talent for long-term success. 

Milch assumes the role at a defining moment for JAX, as the organization embarks on a bold new alliance with the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF). The alliance between JAX and NYSCF integrates stem cell technologies, mouse models, and AI-driven analytics into a unified discovery platform accessible to scientists worldwide – one with the potential to dramatically reduce the time and cost of developing treatments and cures.

“Neal brings to JAX a rare combination of entrepreneurial creativity, strategic insight, and transformative leadership,” said Lon Cardon, president and CEO of JAX. “His experience building brands and leading organizations through change will be invaluable as we advance our mission and expand our impact on biomedical research and innovation.”

Milch is a graduate of Columbia Law School and pursued advanced studies at Stanford University and the London School of Economics. His global perspective includes time spent in Denmark and spans legal expertise, corporate leadership, and philanthropy. He was instrumental in establishing The Bernard and Lusia Milch Endowed Chair, named after his late father and his mother, which supports research into several diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias.

About The Jackson Laboratory

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. JAX leverages a unique combination of research, education, and resources to achieve its bold mission: to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health. Established in Bar Harbor, Maine in 1929, JAX is a global organization with nearly 3,000 employees worldwide and campuses and facilities in Maine, Connecticut, California, Florida, and Japan. For more information, please visit www.jax.org.

JAX media contact: Cara McDonough, [email protected], 919-696-3854