The White House today announced the appointment of Silicon Valley veteran DJ Patil to the position of chief data scientist and deputy chief technology officer for data policy, a new position that underscores the mainstream importance of big data with a strong focus on healthcare.
.@WhiteHouse names @dpatil first ever Chief Data Scientist http://t.co/tzVljsiXQQ #DigitalHealth #PrecisionMedicine pic.twitter.com/eqsnFkQuQs
— Paul Sonnier (@Paul_Sonnier) February 18, 2015
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Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
In a blog post, the White House says Patil “will work on the Administration’s Precision Medicine Initiative, which focuses on utilizing advances in data and health care to provide clinicians with new tools, knowledge, and therapies to select which treatments will work best for which patients, while protecting patient privacy.”
He will also “help shape policies and practices to help the U.S. remain a leader in technology and innovation, foster partnerships to help responsibly maximize the nation’s return on its investment in data,” the White House said.
Patil enters the new role after previous stints as a data scientist at RelateIQ, later acquired by Salesforce, as well as LinkedIn, Greylock Partners, Skype, PayPal and eBay. He also worked for the Department of Defense.
President Obama reportedly recruited Patel personally, according to Wired. He will report to U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.
From Wired, which broke the news:
“There is arguably no one better suited to help the country better embrace the relatively new discipline of data science than Patil. He is often credited with coining the term. In 2012, he co-authored the Harvard Business Review article that called out “data scientist” as the sexiest job of the 21st century. At the time, he was the data-scientist-in-residence at Greylock Partners, where he shared with me his life’s mantra: ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t fix it.'”
He’s also one of a growing cadre of tech executives moving into the public sector in Washington D.C., underscoring the clout of the industry and applying tech to the government, Wired notes. Other notable executives included Tony Scott, formerly of VMWare, who was appointed by Pres. Obama as chief information officer, where he’s tasked with improving the nation’s tech tools. Former Chief Technology Officer Todd Park is leading the effort to bring more Silicon Valley talent to D.C. to help improve IT functions.
