Robert J. Beall, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., is currently president and chief executive officer of the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Dr. Beall has an extensive background in biochemistry and metabolic disease research.
Dr. Beall attended Albright College, where he majored in biology and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in 1965. Albright also awarded Dr. Beall with an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humanities in 1998. After earning his doctorate degree in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1970, Dr. Beall became a researcher and assistant professor of physiology at the Case Western Reserve University Medical School. Dr. Beall joined the Board of Trustees of Albright College in 2003.
Dr. Beall subsequently joined the National Institute of Arthritis, Diabetes, and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There, he was chief of the Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases, and Resources Programs Branch of the Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Program. During his tenure at the NIH, he managed a large portion of its cystic fibrosis (CF) program. He received the NIH Merit Award for his activities furthering CF research nationwide. In 1980, Dr. Beall joined the CF Foundation as the executive vice president for medical affairs.
Under Dr. Beall’s leadership, the CF Foundation has become recognized for its pioneering and successful approach to supporting biomedical research that leads to the development of new therapies for CF patients. His innovative approach to research and education has guided the Research Development Program, a dynamic, interdisciplinary research center network, to advance cystic fibrosis science to new heights. In 1994, he became president and chief executive officer of the CF Foundation. Recognizing the need to bridge the gap between basic research discoveries and novel CF drugs, Dr. Beall initiated the creation of the Therapeutics Development Program, which facilitates the CF drug development process through a centralized clinical trials network and alliances with biotech companies. This model has become known as venture philanthropy as referenced in publications such as Business Week, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Boston Globe, and has also been highlighted in two Harvard Business School case studies. Today there is a pipeline of over 30 drugs in development.
Dr. Beall has authored numerous articles that have been published in both scientific journals and textbooks. Dr. Beall and his wife, Mimi, enjoy spending time with their two sons and their families which includes five grandchildren.
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