Chief Scientific Officer,
Becton Dickinson

Dr. Joseph (Joe) Smith is physician-scientist and business executive with a distinguished 25+ year career in healthcare, spanning applied basic research, clinical practice, medical technology innovation, an executive leadership. In his role as Chief Scientific Officer of Becton Dickinson (BD), he helps to drive BD’s science and technology innovation strategy aligned with its growth strategy, focusing on external innovation partnerships, new innovation models, and further developing BD’s digital technology expertise. 

Joe was trained as a clinician scientist in Boston, with research training at MIT and Harvard, and clinical training at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.  His doctoral dissertation spawned a new field of scientific inquiry into mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias as well as a new company that progressed to its own IPO.  

Following subspecialty training in cardiology and interventional cardiac electrophysiology, Joe served on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis in both Medicine and Biomedical Engineering.  Joe was recruited to join the Medical Advisory Board of Guidant Corporation in St. Paul and was subsequently recruited to be its Chief Medical Officer. Joe personally drove the US CMS national coverage decision for Guidant's defibrillator therapy, driving clinical adoption of life-saving technology. 

Following Guidant’s sale to Boston Scientific, Joe accepted a position at J&J, ultimately responsible for its Emerging Technologies organization within the Corporate Office of Science and Technology.  in Joe's most recent roles, he has worked closely with Gary West, an entrepreneurial billionaire philanthropist in San Diego, in his efforts to drive efficiency into the US healthcare system.  Joe has served as Chief Medical and Science Officer for the West Health Institute, Manager of the West Health Investment Fund, Board Member of the West Health Incubator, President of the West Health Policy Center, and leadership of two digital health / virtual healthcare companies (President and CEO of Reflexion Health, Inc, and Board Chair and interim CEO of The Learning Corp, Inc). Following the sale of these two digital health companies, Joe joined Becton Dickinson as its Chief Scientific Officer. 

Joe holds degrees from Johns Hopkins (B.E.S.), MIT (S.M. in Electrical Engineering; Ph.D. from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology) and Harvard Medical School (M.D.). Joe has dozens of publications and 11 patents in the field of medical technology.  He is an advisor to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (where he also holds an adjunct faculty appointment) the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, and he serves as an advisor/board member to early-stage med-tech companies.