BME7900 Seminar: Russell Gould Ph.D. '14 (Kenvue)

Description

Accelerating healthcare innovation through human-centered design, technology, and data

The understanding of disease and development of commercial solutions is continuing to accelerate. Identifying future fit technology has become a cornerstone of innovation, with data driving all aspects of decision-making. During this Seminar, Russ will briefly discuss his transition from academia to industry and review key initiatives while at the Janssen World Without Disease Accelerator (WWDA) at Johnson and Johnson. An overview of the Healthy Baby Initiative and Apple Heartline Study will be shared with an emphasis on novel diagnostics, therapeutic solutions, and real-world evidence. Outcomes of these programs include methods for predictive skin biomarkers, phase 2 clinical trials for the prevention of atopic disease, and connected care ecosystems. Lastly, we will touch on how tech-enabled initiatives are prioritized across large organizations by focusing on human centered design, business impact, and technical feasibility.
 

Bio:
Russ graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in biomedical engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Cornell University and completed a HHMI post-doctoral fellowship in genetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. During his post-doc, he led translational research for the Leducq consortium, a multinational collaboration to discover the genetic etiology of congenital heart defects and bicuspid aortic valve. The project resulted in the identification of multiple causative genes and recently implemented within the clinic as a diagnostic panel.

Russ started his industry career at Johnson and Johnson in 2017, where he worked as a senior scientist, developing solutions for the pediatric population to prevent atopic disease and improve health outcomes. In 2019, he then joined the Janssen World Without Disease Accelerator (WWDA) as a principal scientist to support multiple ventures, including the Health Baby Initiative and Apple Heartline Study. Within WWDA, his team developed the connected pediatric immune health program focused on novel diagnostics, therapeutic solutions, and real-world evidence. The cross-functional team also published articles on predictive skin biomarkers and initiated multiple phase 2 clinical trials for prevention of atopic disease.

Russ then transitioned to the upstream R&D technology and data team for consumer health at Kenvue. He supports translational science and develops integrated evidence packages for claims innovation. Additionally, he is responsible for portfolio strategy of tech-enabled initiatives across the organization, focusing on human centered design, business impact, and technical feasibility. To date, Russ has coauthored over 25 research publications/book chapters and contributed to more than 10 patent filings. Russ lives in Washington Xing, Pennsylvania with his wife Katrina and two daughters Ellie (6) and Josie (4).