See also
- C-suite
- Chief experimental officer (CEO)
- Chief innovation officer (CINO)
- Chief technology officer (CTO)
A chief scientific officer (CSO) is a position at the head of scientific research operations at organizations or companies performing significant scientific research projects.
A CSO is typically responsible for envisioning and developing research capabilities (human, methodological, and technological) for developing evidence of the validity and utility of research products, and for communicating with the scientific and customer communities concerning capabilities and scientific product offerings.
In some organizations, the same person may hold this title along with that of chief technology officer (CTO). Alternatively, a company could have one or the other, or both occupied by separate people. Often, CSOs exist in heavily research-oriented companies; while CTOs exist in product development focused companies. The typical category of research and development that exists in many science and technology companies can be led by either post, depending upon which area is the organization's primary focus.
A CSO almost always has a pure science background and an advanced degree, whereas a CTO often has a background in engineering or business development.
Some academic research organizations, such as the Fox Chase Cancer Center, [1] Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, [2] and the San Diego Supercomputer Center have adopted a similar title of CSO. [3] Typically, their role is to evaluate and set scientific priorities and coordinate the administrative structure that supports scientists. A CSO commonly has a scientific or academic background, yet they may or may not be practicing scientists or academics.
In the National Health Service, the CSO is the head of profession for the 53,000 healthcare scientists working in the organization and its associated bodies. The CSO is one of six NHS professional officers (including the chief medical officer and the chief nursing officer) who are employed within NHS England. These roles lead their own professional groups as well as providing expert knowledge about their specific disciplines to the NHS and wider health and care system. [4]
The CSO provides professional leadership and expert clinical advice across the health system, as well as working alongside senior clinical leaders within NHS England and the broader commissioning system. [5] The CSO is also responsible for delivering the government's strategy for a modernised healthcare science workforce, Modernising Scientific Careers.
Professor Dame Sue Hill has been the CSO since October 2002 first within the department of health and subsequently NHS England. [6] The role was strengthened in March 2023 with the appointment of a deputy CSO, Dr.Joel. [7]
The Public Health Agency of Canada is home to a CSO. As of May 2020, the PHAC CSO was named Pascal Michel. [8]
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is home to a Chief Science Operating Officer.
A chief technology officer (CTO) is an officer tasked with managing technical operations of an organization. They oversee and supervise research and development and serve as a technical advisor to a higher executive such as a chief executive officer.
Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a comprehensive cancer treatment and research center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dana-Farber is the founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard's Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute, and one of the 15 clinical affiliates and research institutes of Harvard Medical School.
A biomedical scientist is a scientist trained in biology, particularly in the context of medical laboratory sciences or laboratory medicine. These scientists work to gain knowledge on the main principles of how the human body works and to find new ways to cure or treat disease by developing advanced diagnostic tools or new therapeutic strategies. The research of biomedical scientists is referred to as biomedical research.
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), previously known as the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc), is a professional society of scientists, academicians, researchers, clinicians, government representatives, and industry leaders from around the world dedicated to improving outcomes in patients with cancer by advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy. Currently, SITC has more than 2,400 members, representing 22 medical specialties from 42 countries around the world, who are engaged in the research and treatment of cancer.
UCLPartners is an academic health science centre located in London, England. It is the largest academic health science centre in the world, treats more than 1.5 million patients each year, has a combined annual turnover of around £2 billion and includes around 3,500 scientists, senior researchers and consultants.
The Manchester Academic Health Science Centre is an academic health science centre based in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a partnership between the University of Manchester and four NHS organizations in Greater Manchester. It was originally established in June 2008, with re-designation most recently in April 2020 by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and NHS England/NHS Improvement. It is now one of eight academic health science centres in England designated for excellence in health research, education, and patient care.
Professor David James Kerr CBE is a British Cancer Researcher. His primary area of research is treatment and management of colorectal cancer.
Dame Sally Claire Davies is a British physician. She was the Chief Medical Officer from 2010 to 2019 and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health from 2004 to 2016. She worked as a clinician specialising in the treatment of diseases of the blood and bone marrow. She is now Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, appointed on 8 February 2019, with effect from 8 October 2019. She is one of the founders of the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The Chief Scientific Officer in England is the head of profession for the 53,000 healthcare scientists working in the National Health Service and its associated bodies.
Dame Susan Lesley Hill has been the Chief Scientific Officer for England since October 2002.
Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) is a UK-wide government initiative to address the training and education needs of the whole healthcare science workforce in the National Health Service (NHS). The initiative won a Healthcare Innovation Award in 2013. Its stated aims are to introduce flexibility, sustainability and modern career pathways for the healthcare science workforce to meet future needs of the NHS.
Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology that are of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbiology, clinical virology, clinical epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, and biomedical engineering are medical sciences. In explaining physiological mechanisms operating in pathological processes, however, pathophysiology can be regarded as basic science.
Laurie Hollis Glimcher is an American physician-scientist and former President and CEO of Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. She was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019. Glimcher has been at the center of controversies related to animal rights activists, excessive corporate payments, and research misconduct. A 2021 investigation by the Boston Globe Spotlight team highlighted Glimcher’s activities on multiple corporate boards, including Bristol Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, and Analog Devices. After this investigation, Glimcher continued to receive compensation on for-profit boards, while doubling her salary to $4 million per year at Dana-Farber. In October 2024, Glimcher stepped down as President and CEO of Dana-Farber.
Stephen Kevin Smith is a British academic and health executive who led the creation of the United Kingdom's first Academic Health Science Centre at Imperial College London.
The Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research, established by National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) and named in honor of Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel laureate and co-founder of NFCR, has been awarded annually since 2006 to outstanding researchers whose scientific achievements have expanded the understanding of cancer and whose vision has moved cancer research in new directions. The Szent-Györgyi Prize honors researchers whose discoveries have made possible new approaches to preventing, diagnosing and/or treating cancer. The Prize recipient is honored at a formal dinner and award ceremony and receives a $25,000 cash prize. In addition, the recipient leads the next "Szent-Györgyi Prize Committee" as honorary chairman.
Eric P. Winer is a medical oncologist and clinical researcher specializing in breast cancer. He is director of Yale Cancer Center and president and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale New Haven Health System, effective February 1, 2022. He also is Deputy Dean for Cancer Research at Yale School of Medicine. From 1997 to 2021, he was the Chief of the Breast Oncology Program at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Beginning in 2013, he held a range of institutional roles at Dana-Farber, including Chief of Clinical Development, the Thompson Chair in Breast Cancer Research and Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard SPORE in Breast Cancer. He also served as a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022-2023 and became Chair of the Board in mid-June 2023. His career has been focused on breast cancer treatment and research.
Edward J. Benz Jr. is the former president of Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts., and the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine as well as a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School.
Harvey J. Berger is an American physician-scientist, entrepreneur and biotechnology executive. He was the founder and chairman and chief executive officer of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for 25 years, starting in 1991 and became advisor to the board in 2016. He was also executive chairman at Medinol, Inc from 2017 to 2018. In February 2018, Berger was appointed to the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute Board of Trustees.
Müge Çevik is a physician who is an infectious diseases researcher and science communicator at the University of St Andrews. Her research considers HIV, viral hepatitis, emerging infections and tropical infections in developing countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Çevik was an advisor to the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland and the World Health Organization, and is a member of New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group - an expert committee of the UK Department of Health advising Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
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