Phil Johnson, MD          

Phil is President and CEO of Interious and an internationally recognized leader in viral vector technology and human gene transfer. He previously served as the founding Chief Scientific Officer, President, and Interim CEO of Limelight Bio from 2016 to 2020. For more than three decades prior, he led large research enterprises at two of the world’s premier pediatric hospitals. Most notably, as Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, he oversaw a $350 million research enterprise supporting more than 2,000 faculty and staff engaged in basic, clinical, and translational research.

Earlier in his career, Phil spent two decades at Columbus Children’s Hospital and served as a physician-scientist at the National Institutes of Health, where his work contributed to advances in pediatric infectious disease research. He has received numerous national honors, including election to the American Pediatric Society and being named a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology. His scientific leadership has consistently focused on translating discoveries into new therapies for children, with a lifelong dedication to advancing biomedical research to improve child health.

Phil earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He went on to complete his pediatric residency and infectious diseases fellowship at Vanderbilt University, followed by research training at the NIH. Over his career, he has become widely regarded as a pioneer in gene transfer and an influential voice in the integration of philanthropy into biomedical research, recognizing the critical role of new funding models in sustaining innovation.

Beyond his leadership in science and medicine, Phil has been a strong advocate for initiatives that make research funding more transparent and efficient, such as STEMchain, where he has served as an advisor. Throughout his career, he has emphasized the transformative power of scientific discovery to save lives and create lasting global health impact.