Sage Bionetworks CEO and leadership

Michael Kellen leads the technology platforms and services team at Sage Bionetworks. Since 2009, the team has supported open projects and challenges in the collaborative analysis of human health data through the development of the Synapse platform, and by providing support with data hosting, curation, and analysis. The team also supports the collection of human phenotypic data though the development of the Bridge platform. Michael has over 10 years experience developing software for academic and corporate users in the life sciences, and has brought several award-winning products to market in this space covering simulation, data capture and analysis workflow, data integration, and team collaboration. Prior to Sage, Michael held a variety of positions with Teranode corporation since joining as the company’s first employee in 2002, covering product development, field consulting, product management, and development management. Michael completed a doctorate in bioengineering at the University of Washington in 2002 with a focus in computational biology where he also helped develop scientific modeling and simulation technology subsequently licensed by Teranode.

I am a passionate scientist, strategist, and open knowledge advocate working at the intersection of data, technology, and governance. This work is centered on creating a more just and equitable data ecosystem primarily through the development and implementation of open practices across a wide range of stakeholders and sectors. I enjoy solving problems with passionate people and for mission-driven organizations.

Currently, my days are spent as Chief of Staff at Sage Bionetworks and Head of Outreach and Strategic Development for the organization. Prior to joining Sage, I worked as a statistician at the Mayo Clinic for seven years where I focused on colorectal cancer, clinical trials, and high-throughput genomics. I have been invited to share my experiences as an advisor to organizations such as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the International Data Forum. Additionally, I was recognized by the Mozilla Foundation as one of the “50 People Who Are Making the Internet a Better Place” and received the 2020 Symbiont Award for sustained excellence in scientific data sharing.