Announcing Rachel Rath, MBA, MPH as the Head of JLABS @ Washington, DC
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October 4, 2024 (Johnson & Johnson) – Today, Johnson & Johnson Innovation announced the appointment of Rachel Rath, MBA, MPH, as the Head of JLABS @ Washington, DC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS. Rachel assumes this role as a natural progression from her position as Director of the BARDA Alliance for Johnson & Johnson Innovation where she successfully led the management and operational oversight of BLUE KNIGHT™, Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s joint initiative with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Rachel has been based at JLABS @ Washington, DC since the site opening in 2021.
In this leadership role, Rachel will set the strategic direction and oversee all operational activities for JLABS @ Washington, DC, while working closely with Children’s National Hospital, Virginia Tech, and other key collaborations. She’s eager to continue building the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus (CNRIC) community and connections between partners. In addition to managing the business of JLABS, Rachel is responsible for the process of evaluating, selecting and accelerating a strong portfolio of innovators in JLABS @ Washington, DC that are aligned with Johnson & Johnson’s R&D strategy.
Since joining Johnson & Johnson as Director of the BARDA Alliance in 2019, Rachel led the strategic development of BLUE KNIGHT™ and its launch in 2020. Rachel has grown the offering from supporting seven companies to a global initiative with 47 early-stage companies and more than $1 billion raised in funding1. Rachel led the initiative through several strategic pivots, including the development of the BLUE KNIGHT™ Resident Quickfire Challenges. These Challenges have provided significant support through award funding to promising companies to help them reach critical inflection points. Rachel’s alliance management responsibilities spanned all operational activities related to the collaboration with BARDA, including managing the sourcing and selection of high-potential companies for JLABS locations, developing global programming including the annual BLUE KNIGHT™ Symposium, and all strategic activities.
Rachel has lived in the Washington, DC area for nearly 20 years and received her MBA from Georgetown University and MPH in global health policy from George Washington University.
About Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Johnson & Johnson Innovation works across the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors to accelerate early-stage, transformational solutions by catalyzing the best ideas, wherever they are in the world. We do this by harnessing our deep scientific capabilities coupled with a wide range of tools, including customized deal structures, company creation, incubation and startup services, capital investments and other innovative business models that aim to meet the diverse needs of entrepreneurs, scientists and emerging companies. Our goal is to help life science and health technology innovations thrive through collaboration and partnership with the global ecosystem, so that together we can change the trajectory of human health. Meet our passionate team of science and technology experts and learn how to collaborate with us at www.jnjinnovation.com
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