Donald C. Harrison, M.D.
Managing Partner

Don has extensive clinical and scientific expertise with respect to cardiology, extensive medical practice management experience and he has been the founder and director of numerous life sciences companies.

Immediately prior to the founding of CLS, Don was the senior vice president and provost for health affairs at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was responsible for three hospitals, more than 1000 faculty and over $240 million in funded research. Previously, he was chief of cardiology at Stanford University and co-director of the Falk Cardiovascular Research Center at Stanford University. Among his many professional honors, he has been the president of the American Heart Association and a trustee of the American College of Cardiology. He has also been a member of the editorial boards of 13 professional journals, including the American Journal of Cardiology, Drugs, Drug Delivery, In Pharma, British Journal of Clinical Practice, Chest, Heart and Lung, Practical Cardiology, Clinical Cardiology, Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy. He is also an author of seven books and more than 585 scientific articles and reviews. In addition to Don’s professional accomplishments, he has been the chairman of the Advisory Science Board for Hewlett Packard, a member of the Strategic Advisory Panel of Boston Scientific, a member of the Worldwide Science Advisory Board of Bristol Myers and chairman of the Cardiology Advisory Panel of Procter and Gamble. Don has also received the Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence by the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research. Don has been very active as an entrepreneur over the last twenty years. He was a founder with Barr of cardiac catheter company EP Technologies (IPO, then acquired by Boston Scientific), a founder with Barr and Nelson of women’s health company Vesta (acquired by Pfizer), a founder of atrial fibrillation medical device company AtriCure (ATRC) and a founder of the University of Cincinnati life sciences incubator BIO/START. In addition to his CLS board seats, Don is also a board member of the international clinical regulatory organization Kendle International. He was also a board member of the successful medical device company SciMed (acquired by Boston Scientific). Don holds an MD from the University of Alabama, School of Medicine and a BA in chemistry from Birmingham Southern College. He also received an honorary Doctor of Law from Birmingham Southern College.