Denise Johnson
Vice President for Health Research and Analytics, Battelle
Denise Johnson, a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience, leads a team dedicated to advancing science to protect against public health threats, support quality patient care, drive health equity, and improve health outcomes. Their key activities include using AI and machine learning to develop innovative solutions in health and biomedical research for both government and commercial clients.
Johnson’s biggest recent achievement was successfully integrating Battelle’s deep expertise in biology, chemistry and physics with recent advances in AI and machine learning. This fusion ignited a new era of multimodal AI solutions, revolutionizing the organization’s approach to research, health care delivery and community health protection.
One example of this is Johnson’s team’s recent work in pioneering sophisticated computational toxicology methods, using both physics-based and machine learning-based models, including digital twins, to simulate and predict complex biological interactions. This innovative approach not only enhances drug development and environmental health studies but also provides crucial data that is more accurate and far-reaching.
Why Watch
In 2024, Johnson and her team are working to transform how AI is used in crucial areas like health care quality, biomedical research, environmental health and public health. They aim to ensure AI technologies are safe and effective, focusing on AI assurance for health-related applications for federal health agencies.
They are also creating advanced modeling tools tailored for health policymakers. These tools will offer actionable insights to help shape health policies, aiming to enhance health outcomes and boost the effectiveness of public health interventions.
“Denise’s leadership in integrating AI and ML with our core scientific capabilities has been transformative,” said Greg Kimmel, health general manager at Battelle. “Her work is not only driving breakthroughs in health and biomedical research but also positioning Battelle at the forefront of AI innovation. Denise embodies Battelle’s mission to apply science and technology for societal impact.”