Dr. Elias Zerhouni brings decades of high-level medical administration and research experience spanning Johns Hopkins University, the National Institutes of Health, and Sanofi to his current role leading OPKO Health’s pharmaceutical developments.
The veteran biomedical engineer and radiologist served as the director of the National Institutes of Health from 2002 to 2008, managing a budget of $29.5 billion across 27 institutes and centers. During his tenure at the federal agency, he oversaw substantial public health investments before transitioning to global pharmaceutical research.
From January 2011 to July 2018, Dr. Zerhouni worked as the president of global research and development and a member of the executive committee for Sanofi. His academic roots trace back to Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, where he chaired the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences and served as executive vice dean of the School of Medicine.
Following his government service, President Obama appointed Dr. Zerhouni as one of the first presidential U.S. science envoys in November 2009. He subsequently advised the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from 2009 to 2010 before taking on senior advisory duties at Sanofi.
His academic and international accolades include receiving the Legion of Honor medal from the French National Order in 2008. He was elected as a member of the French Academy of Medicine in 2010 and appointed as chair of innovation at the College de France in 2011.
Alongside his institutional appointments, Dr. Zerhouni has founded or co-founded five start-up companies, authored more than 200 publications, and holds several patents in biomedical engineering. He maintains active board memberships with the Lasker Foundation, Research!America, the NIH Foundation, and Danaher Corporation.
He is also a member of the Council of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Currently, he serves as vice chairman and president of OPKO Health, managing its therapeutic and diagnostic operations.
