The Path from Baltimore to the Lab
My journey began in the blue-collar heart of Baltimore, a place that taught me the value of hard work and the power of a good story. I didn't see myself in a lab coat, but I found my way there through a combination of curiosity and a desire to make science accessible to everyone.
Training at Johns Hopkins and Stanford, I bridged the gap between the clinical world and the digital age. At Vanderbilt, I became the first person in the country to serve as Department Chair (Biomedical Informatics) and Senior Vice President for Health IT. My work in those roles focused on the practical realities of the research to implementation pipeline, ensuring that technology served the patient and the provider.
“The goal is to use technology to repair the broken parts of the health system, so that the patient is never left behind.”
At Penn, I continue to lead the AI for Ambulatory Care Innovation Lab, focusing on how we can use artificial intelligence to repair the broken parts of the electronic health record. My mission is to ensure that technology doesn't just collect data, but helps us heal.
Press Kit & Downloads
Official bios, high-resolution headshots, and downloadable CVs for media and academic use.
Official Bio
Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS, is the David L. Cohen University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, with appointments in Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science, and Pediatrics. He also serves as Vice President for Applied Clinical Informatics at Penn Medicine. An alumnus of Johns Hopkins and Stanford, Dr. Johnson previously chaired Vanderbilt’s Department of Biomedical Informatics.
A renowned physician-scientist, he pioneered digital health tools like e-prescribing and behavioral health interventions. He currently leads Penn’s AI for Ambulatory Care Innovation lab, advancing AI to improve clinical experiences. A member of the National Academy of Medicine with over 200 publications, he is also a dedicated science communicator through documentaries and podcasts.
Headshots
