Winston Jonas Brill

director, educator, microbiologist, publisher, research, management consultant

Winston Jonas Brill, British microbiologist, educator, research director, publisher and
management consultant. Recipient Eli Lilly award in microbiology and immunology, 1979,
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation award, 1979, Award of Distinction University Wisconsin,
1990; Henry Rutgers fellow Rutgers University, 1961.

Background
Brill, Winston Jonas was born on June 16, 1939 in London. Came to the United States,
1949. Son of Walter and Irmgard (Levy) Brill.

Education
Bachelor, Rutgers University, 1961. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology, University
Illinois, 1965.

Career
Postdoctoral fellow Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 1965-1967.
Assistant professor department bacteriology University Wisconsin, Madison, 1967-1970,
associate professor, 1970-1974, professor, 1974-1979, Vilas research professor, 1979-
1983, adjunct professor, since 1983. Vice president, director research Agracetus, 1981-
1989.

President Winston J. Brill & Associates, Madison, since 1989. Panel member National
Science Foundation, United States Department of Agriculture, Pontifical Academy of
Sciences. Member recombinant DNA advisory committee National Institutes of Health,
1979-1983.

Member policy advisory committee United States Department of Agriculture, since 1985.
Member genetic engineering advisory panel to the United States secretary state, 1981.
Member executive board National Institute Emerging Technology.

Works
Public, editor: Innovative Leader, since 1992. Member editorial board Journal
Biotechnology, Trends in Biotechnology, Critical Revs. In Biotechnology.

Contributor articles to professional journals.

Membership
Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy
Microbiology. Member National Academy of Sciences, American Society Microbiology,
American Society Plant Physiologists, American Society Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
International Society Plant Molecular Biology.

Connections
Married Nancy Carol Weisburd, June 11, 1964. 1 child, Eric David.
father: Walter Brill
mother: Irmgard (Levy) Brill
spouse: Nancy Carol Weisburd
child: Eric David Brill

First name
Winston
Middle Initial
J.
Last name
Brill
Title
Professor Emeritus of Microbiology, University of Wisconsin
Organization
Winston J. Brill & Associates
City
Redmond
State
WA
Year inducted to WSAS
2008
Academy Section
Section 3: Biological Sciences
Primary Disciplinary Area
Microbiology, Creativity and Innovation
National Academy Affiliation
National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
Year inducted to National Academy
1989
 Winston J. Brill, Ph.D. knows what it takes to get great ideas.

Winston insists that the only way to achieve difficult and important goals is to
inspire a strong Innovative Attitude. That attitude guided him and his teams to
many important innovations.

After postdoctoral work at M.I.T., he held an endowed professorship at the

University of Wisconsin, where he won international awards, including:

Eli Lilly Award "the most outstanding microbiologist

and immunologist, under age of 40, in the U.S. and Canada"
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award "the most important
advance in the agricultural sciences"

By the way, those awards were for two totally different discoveries!

Later, he founded a successful biotechnology company. In this very different

setting, he finely honed his ability to inspire an Innovative Attitude. For
directing his corporate teams to extraordinary achievements, he was
recognized by:

Being described as one of top ten "most innovative researchers"

feature article in Business Week (1989)
Election to membership in the National Academy of Sciences

Besides managing groups that have enjoyed high innovative successes, he

has made his own innovative advances, confirmed through important patents
in fields as diverse as human healthcare, termite control and cotton fiber
improvement.

In 1989, Winston began using his vast experience to help other organizations,
worldwide, create a strong Innovative Attitude. Through his talks, consulting
and publishing, he now demonstrates what it takes to get, and follow up on,
great ideas.

During the past decade he has studied the origins behind hundreds of
innovations in many disciplines and in many settings. This research has
confirmed his idea that a common factorthe Innovative Attitudedrives
individuals, teams, and organizations to innovative successes.

His avocations, art collecting and cooking, are yet other aspects of his interest
in creativity. In his talks, he shows that creativity in art, creativity in cooking
and creativity in business share many common themes.
Winston has been featured in Fortune, Time, Der Spiegel, Newsweek, on CBS
Evening News, and on the public television series NOVA.

He has testified before U.S. House and Senate committees on

innovation. One of his more interesting experiences was speaking on the
subject at the Vatican.