The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) is proud to announce two new additions to the FNIH Board of Directors, Dr. Jay Bradner and Jim Weiss. The new directors bring decades of experience and entrepreneurship in life sciences.

“We are extremely honored to welcome Jim and Jay to the FNIH Board,” said Steve Paul, M.D., Board Chairman. “They bring incredible entrepreneurship and a commitment to finding innovative solutions to the world’s most challenging health problems. Their addition to the board will accelerate our growth in developing public-private partnerships between the NIH, academic institutions, private foundations, patient advocacy groups, and life science companies to impact patients’ lives.”

Dr. Jay Bradner is the former President of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), where he led thousands of scientists at six research sites around the world in the discovery of life-changing medicines for patients. Previously, Dr. Bradner was a clinician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. As an entrepreneur, he has co-founded five biotechnology startups. He has long been a proponent of open science, and when his lab at Dana-Farber discovered the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1, they took the unorthodox step of making it available to other researchers with no restrictions. Dr. Bradner brought this same “open science” approach when he joined Novartis in 2016. NIBR collaborates with an external network of academic and industry partners to facilitate cutting-edge science in areas of mutual interest. NIBR’s open science programs include the Global Scholars Program, which supports innovation through academic partnerships, and the annual Hackathon, which brings data scientists and NIBR researchers together to work on complex problems in the life sciences. He holds an M.D. from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and an A.B. from Harvard University. Dr. Bradner will be a member of the Portfolio Oversight Committee of the FNIH Board.

Jim Weiss is the Chairman and Founder of Real Chemistry, which provides data-driven, tech-enabled, integrated marketing communications and commercial and medical solutions for the life science sector. Over the past 20 years, he built Real Chemistry from a one-person consultancy to a global health innovation company that uses real-world data, proprietary technologies, and analytical insights to solve the healthcare industry’s most significant challenges. He started his corporate career at Genentech and is now an investor, mentor, and strategic advisor to those looking to innovate at the intersection of technology and life sciences. Mr. Weiss has been named Agency Entrepreneur of the Year (2021), a Top 50 Health Influencer (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), Innovator of the Year (2020), and was inducted into the Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications’ 50 Forward as one of its most accomplished graduates. Mr. Weiss will be co-chair of the Advancement and Communications Committee of the FNIH Board and a member of the Executive Committee.

“Jim and Jay share in our belief that we can tackle disease by bringing together the world’s top medical and scientific leaders to advance new therapeutics from the research bench to the patient’s bedside,” said Julie Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H., President and Chief Executive Officer of the FNIH. “We could not be more fortunate to have both of these esteemed colleagues on the FNIH Board of Directors.”

For more information about the FNIH Board of Directors, please visit fnih.org/about/directors.

About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health: The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) connects the world’s leading public and private organizations to accelerate biomedical breakthroughs for patients, regardless of who they are, where they live or what disease they have. Together with leading scientists and problem-solvers, and a successful track record of navigating complex problems, the FNIH accelerates new therapies, diagnostics, and potential cures, advances global health and equity in care, and celebrates and trains the next generation of scientists. Established by Congress in 1990 to support the mission of the NIH, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information about the FNIH, please visit fnih.org.

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"They bring incredible entrepreneurship and a commitment to finding innovative solutions to the world’s most challenging health problems." - Dr. Steve Paul