Fredric Abramson
About Fredric Abramson
My work now is to use genetic data combined with other data to identify the risk of injury to an athlete, particularly kids. I founded Golden Thread Technology to do this. I have a no shit background in science, technology and business. One of my professors called me an "Intellectual Omnivore." Which helps explain my non-linear career path. My science work includes human genetics, mathematical biology, computer software, and biotechnology. Years ago I wrote artificial intelligence software to solve complex health problems. My analysis of 600,000 pregnancy outcomes for my Ph.D. thesis was the first big data study in health care. I wrote software that pinpointed hospital infections sources. I evaluated contraceptive programs in developing countries. My business experience starts in the Rock 'n Roll field where I did A&R and worked with recording artists. I managed the record and appliance departments in an early big-box store. At the age of 18, I had hiring, firing, buying and merchandising authority. I worked in wholesale distribution and manufacturing. In the '90's, I was general counsel and chief scientist to a consumer weight loss company, where I also directed the legal aspects of their franchising. I am an MIT Sloan Fellow ('77). Starting in 1996 I joined Johns Hopkins as an adjunct instructor in the biotechnology master's program. I designed courses in economics, managerial finance, ethical issues, and creating the biotechnology enterprise, through 2018. I'm also a business-technology attorney, since 1988, with a special focus on copyright and licensing. The central theme in my career is combining technology, science and practical implementation to solve complex problems. Today, my focus is on using the science of genetics to build workable solutions to lower injury risks to athletes and to empower people to actually succeed in losing weight. Our genome tells a story about us. Each story is unique. The problem is that until now, we had no way to hear our stories. Except the bad ones about how we’re likely to die or become sick. Not many people want to sit around to hear those stories. They’re like the ghost stories told to four-year old’s out in the woods, on how a monster will come out of the dark and grab them. Current prevention models use the “let’s educate them” approach. In other words, you're uneducated, stupid, indifferent or just lazy, which is why you don't do what the health experts tell you. I'm fed up with the ‘me too’ approach. It's time to make genetics truly useful for everyday well-being and decision making.