Research Institute's Bryan Wolf, MD, PhD, New to Pennsylvania Bio Board

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Research Institute is among 2,300 life sciences establishments that call Pennsylvania home. As a newly appointed member of Pennsylvania Bio’s Board of Directors, Bryan Wolf, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Research Institute, will foster supportive relationships within this vibrant community of scientists, biotechnology companies, drug manufacturers, and entrepreneurs.

Pennsylvania Bio is a statewide trade association representing 650 members that aims to ensure the economic vitality of the life sciences industry by promoting collaboration and public policies that support innovation in the pursuit of improving human health. Dr. Wolf, who also is chief scientific officer and executive vice president of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, will help Pennsylvania Bio achieve its mission by contributing his insights from 25 years of working with pediatric health researchers and basic scientists to advance science and then rapidly translate that knowledge to facilitate healthcare decision making.

Prior to becoming CSO of the Research Institute in 2015, Dr. Wolf was chief information officer and senior vice president of CHOP, and he continues to serve in biomedical and health informatics leadership roles. From 2001 to 2008, he was responsible for the research activities, clinical operations, and education in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at CHOP as pathologist-in-chief and chair. His research interests focus on diabetes.

“A key role of the Research Institute is to take the discoveries and breakthroughs from the research labs into everyday clinical practice, in order to have the greatest impact on the care of our children,” Dr. Wolf said.

As one of Pennsylvania’s top industries, the life sciences sector employs about 78,300 people directly and is known for its highly skilled workforce. Pennsylvania Bio has honored several leading visionaries in this scientific arena for their groundbreaking research and medical engineering performed at the Research Institute and at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Robert M. Campbell, MD, received Pennsylvania Bio’s Patient Impact Award this year as the inventor of the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib, the first device approved by the FDA to treat thoracic insufficiency syndrome, a rare condition affecting children in which the thorax cannot support regular growth or breathing. In 2014, CHOP received Pennsylvania Bio’s Deal of the Year Award for its successful spinout of gene company Spark Therapeutics, while the University of Pennsylvania and CHOP were jointly given the Patient Impact Award for their groundbreaking cancer immune therapy research.

In addition to Dr. Wolf, Pennsylvania Bio named four other new members to its board of directors: Brian Halak, PhD, of Domain Associates; John Hubbard, PhD, of BioClinica; David Ledbetter, PhD, of Geisinger Health System; and Bruce Shook of Intact Vascular Inc.

“As the trade association for the life sciences in Pennsylvania, including biopharma, medical devices, diagnostics and digital health, these additions to our Board present opportunities for both the industry and health systems to work together to ensure Pennsylvania is a global leader in the life sciences,” stated Pennsylvania Bio President and CEO Christopher P. Molineaux in a press release.