Dr. Eugene G. Sander, head of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS) was named first director of the institute.
In 1990, he recruited Dr. Robert D. Wells into the Welch Chair as Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (COALS) and Director of the IBT.
[citation needed] Dr. Richard Finnell served as director 2001-2005 under whose leadership the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine (TIGM) was established.
Dr. David Carlson, the Texas A&M Health Science Center Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies served as the interim IBT Director 2009–2011.
The approximately $10 million operating budget of the IBT consists of about 30% state funds, 50% federal grants and 20% private sources.
Students do research in IBT laboratories while taking formal classroom instruction at other Texas Medical Center institutions.