PatientsLikeMe has appointed Marni Hall, Ph.D., MPH, as its new senior vice president of Research and Policy. A distinguished research scientist and public policy expert, Hall will develop and direct the strategies and teams focused on expanding the role of real-world evidence in precision medicine, and in the research agendas of PatientsLikeMe and its customers.

Hall joins the company from the FDA, where she was most recently director of Regulatory Science within the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology (OSE) for the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). In this role, Hall became an expert at sourcing and analyzing big data sets, including adverse event reports, claims, -omics, and other data useful to risk assessment and risk management activities. She led data management and program operations, as well as research and development efforts to identify, evaluate, and implement new data, tools, and methods to support regulatory decision making. Specifically Hall’s team explored big data sources such as the FDA Adverse Event Reporting Systems (FAERS) and the Sentinel Initiative, and led post-market safety studies and programs using observational data to gain insight into drug safety and drug performance.

PatientsLikeMe CEO Martin Coulter said Hall “will now apply her strategic research and operational expertise to help us work with our members and partners to use patient-reported data in new and innovative ways, so that the patient experience can lead to even more significant developments and discoveries, such as improved outcomes.”

According to Hall, the new opportunity allows her to continue to do research in a scientifically-rigorous and patient-centered setting. “PatientsLikeMe has been a critical force in documenting and analyzing real-life patient experiences and evolving the role of real-world evidence in clinical and public health research. My goal is to extend its impact, so that the patient experience drives a future where healthcare is able to emphasize individual needs and preferences. I’m thrilled to join a company that is so focused on helping people thrive each day, while collecting data essential to this emerging field,” Hall said.

A research scientist by training, Hall has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of science and policy. She started her career studying toxicology and molecular epidemiology at Columbia University. After serving as Program Director in the Public Health Group of External Medical Affairs at Pfizer, Hall joined the FDA’s Office of Planning and Informatics (OPI) in 2008 as a Principal Analyst. In this role, she initiated and led the development of CDER’s data standards plan. She was appointed Director of Regulatory Science in 2011.

Hall holds bachelor of science degrees in chemistry and in society, technology, and policy from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She also holds a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health as well as a master of science degree in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in toxicology from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.