# Charles R. Bridges

> Charles R. Bridges, M.D., Sc.D., is Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at CorVista Health, where he leads the science behind a machine-learning cardiac diagnostic platform. A cardiac surgeon turned engineer-executive, he holds an A.B. in applied physics from Harvard, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School (which he entered at 18), and both an M.S. in electrical engineering and a D.Sc. in chemical engineering from MIT. He was the first African American full professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, served as a technology chief at Johnson & Johnson's Janssen, and in 2022 was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. His record spans 175 peer-reviewed publications, 15 patents, and more than $10 million in continuous NIH funding.

- **Role:** Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at CorVista Health
- **Organizations:** CorVista Health, Analytics For Life, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceuticals), University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, Carolinas HealthCare System / University of North Carolina, BioVentures MedTech Funds (advisory board)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** A.B. in Engineering and Applied Physics, magna cum laude, Harvard College, M.D. with honors (entered at age 18), Harvard Medical School (Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology), M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, D.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2022), First African American full professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, 175 peer-reviewed publications

## Career timeline

- **—** — First African American full professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania; member of the Bioengineering Graduate Group
- **—** — Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital
- **—** — Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Carolinas HealthCare System with UNC
- **—** — Chief Technology Officer and Head of Cross Enterprise Innovation for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Therapeutic Areas at Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson); scientific lead on nearly $1 billion in device investments and acquisitions
- **2021** — Received the Juan A. Simpson Outstanding Employee Service Award at Johnson & Johnson
- **2022** — Appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of CorVista Health (January 18, 2022)
- **2022** — Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering

## Achievements

- Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2022)
- First African American full professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania
- 175 peer-reviewed publications
- 15 issued patents
- More than $10 million in continuous NIH R01 funding
- Scientific lead on approximately $1 billion in cardiovascular and neurovascular device deals at Johnson & Johnson
- Co-founder of an early-stage biotech focused on muscular dystrophy gene therapy
- Juan A. Simpson Outstanding Employee Service Award (2021)

## Latest updates

- **2022-01** — Appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of CorVista Health.
- **2022-01** — Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.

## Links

- Website: https://corvista.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-bridges-70974525

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/charles-bridges
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-14