NVAC Representative Member | Term: 2/8/2020 – 2/7/2023
Leonard Friedland, MD is currently vice president and director of scientific affairs and public health, Vaccines in North America. He is a graduate of Vassar College and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, pediatrician and pediatric emergency medicine trained physician, and vaccine research scientist. His residency and fellowship training was in Philadelphia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He was on staff at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Assistant Professor) and Division Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Temple University Children’s Hospital (Associate Professor) before joining AstraZeneca in 2000 and GSK in 2003.
Dr. Friedland brought to industry a distinguished academic background in pediatrics and emergency medicine, clinical and bench research, teaching, and patient care. He has a wide ranging publication history on pediatric, infectious diseases, and vaccinology topics. He is also an active medical volunteer pediatrician with Rotaplast, a non-profit humanitarian organization providing free reconstructive cleft palate/cleft lip operations and treatment for children in need worldwide. Dr. Friedland’s experience at GSK exemplifies a physician scientist leader with increasingly responsible and successful experience focused on vaccines and public health. He is an accomplished leader of clinical research, medical affairs, clinical operations, health outcomes, epidemiology, quality and risk management, and publications teams. He is known as an engaging leader who successfully contributes to projects and drives change. Dr. Friedland has been directly involved with IND, BLA and sBLA activities of GSK’s entire portfolio of U.S.-licensed vaccines and vaccines in development. He was the GSK main clinical/medical presenter at three VRBPAC meetings (Boostrix BLA 2005, Rotarix BLA 2008, Rotarix PCV 2010) and has been extensively involved with GSK’s preparations for all other VRBPAC meetings, since joining GSK in 2003. Dr. Friedland Served as the BIO industry representative on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee Maternal Immunization Work Group, and as the Alternate Industry Representative to the Health and Human Services, Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) of the Food and Drug Administration. He is GSK’s primary medical and public health representative and spokesperson for U.S. vaccine topics at the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, other public health venues, congresses, and media outlets.
