Dr. Kristin Baetz has been Dean of the Faculty of Science and a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary since 2022. From 2005 to 2021, she was Assistant Dean of Research and Special Projects at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine, where she was also a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology. She served as Director of the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology from 2012 to 2019.

Dr. Baetz is a yeast biologist who obtained a B.Sc. in biochemistry at Queen’s University in 1995 and a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and microbiology at the University of Toronto in 2000. Her research explores the cellular mechanisms of lysine acetyltransferases, investigating their role in chromosome stability, stress response and lipid homeostasis using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism. She also applies synthetic biology to enhance industrial yeast for precision fermentation. A Canada Research Chair from 2005 to 2015, Dr. Baetz has received multiple accolades, including the Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lecture Award from the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences and an Early Researcher Award from the Government of Ontario.

Her research program is supported by a diverse range of funding sources, including NSERC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In recognition of the critical role these organizations play in advancing her own research program, Dr. Baetz actively gives back by serving on numerous funding review panels, including panels at NSERC, CIHR and the Canada Biomedical Research Fund and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund.

Dr. Baetz is committed to strengthening Canada’s research ecosystem through advocacy and leadership. She has held key roles with the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences, including serving as President from 2015 to 2017, and currently sits on the board of Research Canada, where she advocates for strengthening the innovation pipeline. She is passionate about science outreach and works to promote public engagement and highlight the impact of scientific research in society.