The John Templeton Foundation is excited to announce the arrival of two new Program Officers — Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie and Dr. Emanuela Sani. 

Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie joins the Foundation as the Program Officer in Philosophy & Theology. In this role, she works to develop new funding initiatives and manages the full life-cycle of the grant process. Before coming to the Foundation, Dr. Lane Ritchie was Lecturer in Theology & Science at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Lane Ritchie received her B.A. in Philosophy & Religion from Spring Arbor University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an M.Sc. in Science & Religion from the University of Edinburgh. She obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh in Science & Religion with a thesis on divine action and the human mind, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of St. Andrews. She has published a book with Cambridge University Press and numerous articles in academic journals, and continues research in the field of science and religion.

Dr. Emanuela Sani is responsible for developing new initiatives that advance current and future strategic priorities in Life Sciences. Current strategic priorities include the science of purpose, cultural evolution, and intellectual humility. The Life Sciences department also manages the Genetics and Exceptional Cognitive Talent & Genius Portfolios. Before joining the Foundation, Dr. Sani was a Research Associate at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. 

Dr. Sani received her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Glasgow and a M.S in Plants and Microorganism biotechnology from the University of Pisa. Her research on cell biology of plants, yeast and coronavirus has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications.