Innovation infrastructure and institutional commitment – translating research to reality: The Mass General Brigham experience

Mr Chris Coburn, Chief Innovation Officer, Mass General Brigham and SGH Hospital of the Future podcast hosts, Dr Rena Dharmawan and Dr Goh Su-Yen

Chris Coburn, Chief Innovation Officer at Mass General Brigham (MGB), reveals how MGB, America's largest academic research enterprise, transforms cutting-edge research into commercial reality. From managing a USD500 million venture fund to fostering strategic industry partnerships, discover the innovation model behind Harvard-affiliated hospitals and what sustainable healthcare innovation means for the future.

Mass General Brigham (MGB)’s academic research enterprise includes one of the largest hospital-based research programs in the U.S., with more than USD 2 billion in annual research funding. The integrated health system generates over USD 20 billion in annual operating revenue, cares for approximately 2.5 million patients each year, and includes a managed care organization, outpatient facilities, and community hospitals.

Mr Chris Coburn, Chief Innovation Officer of Mass General Brigham, an integrated healthcare system that includes Harvard University affiliates Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and McLean Hospital, is responsible for the commercial application of the unique capabilities of MGB’s 85,000 employees.

In this SGH Hospital of the Future podcast, our podcast hosts Dr Goh Su-Yen and Dr Rena Dharmawan hears from Mr Coburn about what it means for MGB and the MGB innovation model to be the United States’ largest academic research enterprise and to be affiliated to Harvard University and with 7,000 of its faculty appointed at Harvard Medical School.

Mr Coburn expounds on his 140-person business development group’s model responsible for activities including strategic industry collaborations, company creation, investing, translational development, commercial strategy setting, licensing, and innovation management, and the benefits and challenges with managing a nearly USD500 million venture fund.

At the Singapore Scientific Conference 2025, Mr Coburn spoke on Innovating Healthcare for a Sustainable Future. He candidly shares his thoughts on this topic during the podcast and how it relates back to his experience as Chief Innovation Officer, MBG.

About Mr Chris Coburn

Prior to joining Mass General Brigham, Mr Coburn was founding director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations and served for 13 years as its executive leader. During his tenure, Cleveland Clinic spun off 57 companies that raised more than $700 million in equity financing. There were none before Coburn’s arrival. His team also managed an innovation alliance network in which Cleveland Clinic directly supported technology commercialization for healthcare systems throughout the United States. Previously he was Vice President at Battelle and served on the staff of Ohio Governor Richard Celeste.

About SGH Hospital of the Future Podcast Hosts

Dr Goh Su-Yen is Senior Consultant,  Endocrinology at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Head and Senior Consultant, SingHealth Duke-NUS Diabetes Centre, and Group Director, Innovation and Transformation, SingHealth, with an interest in innovation and transformation. 

Dr Rena Dharmawan is a Consultant Surgeon at Department of Head & Neck Surgery in National Cancer Centre Singapore and SGH. Dr Rena also holds a joint appointment as Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor of Innovation Education & Ecosystem Development (IE2D) at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. Rena is also Co-Director of the College of Healthcare Engineering in Singhealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Center (AMC). Clinically, she specialises in managing benign and malignant thyroid, parathyroid and parotid conditions.

Over the past decade, she co-founded three Singapore-based medtech startups (Privi Medical, Jaga-Me and CATALYST) and is currently Programme Director for the Duke-NUS Healthcare Innovation Programme (D-HIP) to train & develop the next generation of Clinician-Innovators.

Prior to medicine, Rena graduated summa cum laude with a BSc in Biomedical Engineering in 2007. 

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About the SGH Hospital of the Future Podcast

What comes to mind when you think about the hospital of the future? How will rapidly-evolving technology enhance the human touch which is so essential in reshaping healthcare?

Join us as we dive into emerging medical technologies and trends, and significant healthtech innovations making an impact on integrated future health systems and new models of care. We bring you industry experts and luminaries from across the globe and their exclusive insights, as we explore how to unlock new value and better outcomes while looking after both patients and healthcare workers.

Whether you're a healthcare professional, tech enthusiast, or curious about the future of medicine, our healthcare innovation podcast keeps you ahead of the curve in the advancing world of healthcare.
 

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