KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that Dr. Stephen “Steve” L. Mayo, professor, California Institute of Technology, will join the company’s Board of Directors effective March 15, 2021. Dr. Mayo will stand for election with the company’s other directors at Merck’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 25, 2021. With the addition of Dr. Mayo, the Merck board will consist of 14 members.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Mayo to the Merck Board. He brings extensive scientific expertise, and we look forward to his contributions and insights,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck.

Dr. Mayo is the Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, where he has held a number of other roles, including Chair of the Division of Biology & Biological Engineering and Vice Provost. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 for his pioneering contributions in the field of protein design, Dr. Mayo has also served as a presidential appointee on the National Science Foundation’s National Science Board and as an elected board member for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Mayo earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.

About Merck

For 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.