Paul Coplan

Paul is the Vice President of Epidemiology and Real-World Data Sciences for Medical Devices at Johnson and Johnson, leading a team of epidemiologists, data programmers and biostatisticians. Paul completed a BS Honors in Biochemistry and Physiology at the University of Witwatersrand, a Master’s in Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, a Doctor of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Harvard School of Public Health, and an MBA at Wharton Business School at University of Pennsylvania.

Paul has been a pioneer in using epidemiology and real-world evidence to develop new vaccines, medicines and medical technology and to assess their postmarket safety and effectiveness.  He has participated in the postmarket surveillance of several devices (eg, hip, knee, and intramedullary nail devices) and is participating in using machine learning for robotic surgery and digital technology to improve performance.  He helped develop Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine as a member of the Clinical trial team.  He has also helped develop 8 widely used vaccines (to protect populations against cervical cancer, bacterial pneumonia and meningitis, shingles, chicken pox, hepatitis A and B, measles/mumps/rubella) and 9 medicines (to treat HIV, cancer, severe pain, antibiotics, antifungals, contraceptives, and pain medications). In addition, Paul has taught Epidemiology at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine as an adjunct professor for the past 21 years.  He has authored over 90 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 500 international medical conference presentations, conducted studies in 15 countries and has worked with the FDA, EMA and other national regulatory authorities.

Paul is a member of the National Evaluation System for Health Technology’s Active Surveillance Workgroup and the Medical Device Innovation Consortium Science of Patient Input Steering Committee. He has led pre-competitive initiatives for collaboration between companies, regulators and academics in creating benefit-risk frameworks for medical product evaluations, assessing the safety of HIV medications, vaccines, opioid analgesics, establishing clinical trial infrastructure in Africa and Southeast Asia for HIV vaccine and microbicide trials, building and evaluating Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) and safety assessment of cobalt-containing orthopedic implants.