Josh Fessel, MD, PhD, ATSF is a physician-scientist trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine and with research experience that spans basic to translational to clinical across multiple sectors. Josh completed his MD and PhD in Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, as well as his internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine training.

As a faculty member at Vanderbilt, he ran a basic and early translational research lab studying how changes in cellular metabolism can contribute to a variety of diseases both common and rare. In late 2018, Josh took a position at the National Institutes of Health, where he first oversaw the pulmonary vascular disease portfolio at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and then became actively involved in many of the NIH-led response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular involvement in COVID clinical trials and in efforts to improve the lives of people living with long COVID. In 2021, he moved to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, ultimately assuming the role of Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Office of Translational Medicine. In his role at NCATS, Josh continued to foster innovation in the clinical trials space and expanded his work into data science initiatives as well, contributing to multiple high-impact programs that span across NIH, across the Department of Health and Human Services, and across U.S. Government. He has recently left federal government and is exploring new avenues for promoting research, health care, and public health for the betterment of all people.