William A. O'brien, MD, Ms
About William A. O'brien, MD, Ms
William A. O'Brien, MD, MS, is the Senior Director, Medical Safety Assessment Physician and Chair of the Safety Monitoring Team for Fibrosis at Bristol Myers Squibb in Princeton, New Jersey. He also serves as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and a Professor of Internal Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology at UTMB.
Current Title and Roles
William A. O'Brien, MD, Ms, serves as the Senior Director, Medical Safety Assessment Physician, and Chair of the Safety Monitoring Team for Fibrosis at Bristol Myers Squibb. He is based in Princeton, New Jersey. In his role, he is responsible for overseeing the safety assessment of medical treatments related to fibrosis, ensuring that clinical practices adhere to safety standards.
Career at Bristol Myers Squibb
Dr. O'Brien has held several key positions at Bristol Myers Squibb over the years. From 2017 to 2020, he served as Chair of the Medical Surveillance Team for Cardiovascular and Fibrosis. Prior to that, he was Chair of the Medical Surveillance Team for Virology from 2015 to 2017. Additionally, he worked as the Director of Worldwide Medical Affairs focusing on Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) from 2014 to 2015.
Past Experience in Medical Affairs and Academic Roles
Before joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Dr. O'Brien held leadership roles at other pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. From 2012 to 2014, he was Director of US Medical Affairs for Virology at Boehringer Ingelheim in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He also served as Chief Medical Officer at Zirus, Inc. and held a nine-year tenure as President & CEO of Project MedEd. In academia, he has been a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and also a Professor of Internal Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Educational Background and Certifications
Dr. O'Brien earned his BS and MS in Biology, Cell Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his MD from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has been Board Certified in Internal Medicine since 1986 and in Infectious Diseases from 1994 to 2004. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his research and professional activities in medical safety and disease pathogenesis.
Research and Development Interests
With extensive experience in leading basic research in molecular pathogenesis, Dr. O'Brien is particularly interested in advancing the development of novel therapeutics based on molecular advances in treatment. His work in the pharmaceutical industry over the past eight years has focused on medical safety and clinical development, aiming to bring innovative treatments to market safely.