J. Patrick “Pat” Fitch is the deputy Laboratory director for Science, Technology, and Engineering (DDSTE).

Prior to his DDSTE appointment, Fitch served as associate Laboratory director for Chemistry, Earth and Life Sciences (ALDCELS), home to Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bioscience divisions and Applied Energy and Biological and Environmental Research programs. ALDCELS supports a wide range of Lab programs ranging from basic science to operations and from deep underground to extraterrestrial locations.

Before joining the Laboratory, Fitch was president of the Battelle National Biodefense Institute, LLC, where he stood up and then led for over a decade the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) — one of the nation's largest maximum biocontainment laboratories (BSL-2, 3, and 4) and home to the National Bioforensic Analysis Center. His biodefense, pathogen and toxin R&D interests were preceded with work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on the human genome, medical devices, imaging, national security and computer architectures and algorithms. He was part of a team that developed and demonstrated the world’s fastest computer.

Fitch received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University and bachelor's degrees in physics and engineering science from Loyola University Maryland. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recipient of three Secretary of Energy Achievement Awards, two FLC Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers international best paper award, an Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity national best poster award, and an LLNL S&T Award. Fitch has chaired and participated in several activities of the National Academies (NASEM) — most recently the 2022 expert meeting for the assessment of methods and tools for identification of pandemic origins.