Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, the pharmaceutical research and development arm of Johnson & Johnson, has announced that Bryan J. Hansen, Ph.D., has rejoined the company as Senior Director, External Scientific Innovation. In this role, Hansen will lead and manage the company’s incubation portfolio across East North America, sourcing and advancing early-stage companies whose science aligns with J&J Innovative Medicine’s priorities in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and discovery product development and supply.
About Bryan J. Hansen, Ph.D.
Hansen’s new role puts him squarely at the intersection of external innovation and drug discovery, scouting the scientific advances most likely to translate into meaningful therapies for patients. It’s a natural extension of a career spent building bridges between neuroscience, data science, and digital health, and it draws on relationships he built during a year spent consulting for some of the field’s most promising early-stage companies, insight he can now apply directly to identifying and advancing the next wave of scientific innovation on J&J’s behalf.
Hansen returns to Johnson & Johnson after a nearly four-year run at the company that ended in 2025, during which he most recently served as Director of Innovative Health, Portfolio Launch Excellence, overseeing a $25 million global portfolio of more than 30 non-drug innovation initiatives. Before that, as Director, Data Science and Digital Health for the Neuroscience organization, he led digital health strategy for the neurodegeneration portfolio, managing a $10 million budget and cross-disciplinary teams to deploy AI-driven biomarkers and multimodal assessments that reduced trial screen failures and enabled earlier detection of cognitive decline. He also represented J&J in global forums including SXSW, the CNS Summit, and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
Prior to Johnson & Johnson, Hansen spent more than six years at Merck, first as Senior Scientist in Neuroscience and Pharmacology, where he developed assays for PK/PD and efficacy and applied EEG/qEEG analytics to uncover biomarkers supporting CNS pipeline programs, and later as Associate Principal Scientist in Global Digital Analytics & Technologies, where he advanced the company’s digital biomarker strategy through feasibility studies, biosensor and wearable study design, and decentralized trial innovation. His research background includes postdoctoral work as a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on neurosciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology and Neurosciences from Baylor University, and currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Altoida, Inc.
Reflecting on the path that led to this moment, Hansen shared: “This moment means all the more because of the road that led here. A year ago today, I learned that my role was being eliminated. While it was a difficult change, it opened doors to opportunities I otherwise would not have had. Over the past year, I had the privilege of consulting with some of the most thoughtful, talented folks, who I consider among the best at what they do. Now my full attention turns to what’s ahead. I’ll be searching for the most promising scientific advances and working to bring them to patients who need them most.”
About Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is the pharmaceutical research and development business of Johnson & Johnson, focused on discovering, developing, and delivering innovative medicines across therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension. The organization combines internal R&D with external innovation efforts, partnering with biotech companies, academic institutions, and entrepreneurs worldwide to advance promising early-stage science toward patients. As part of Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest and most broadly based healthcare company, J&J Innovative Medicine draws on significant scale and cross-sector expertise to accelerate the translation of scientific breakthroughs into approved therapies.
