Dr. Rose Blackburne is an experienced healthcare and global life science executive, she currently serves as Vvice president, global head of population science strategies and women’s health at Thermo Fisher Scientific. She is passionate about women’s health, health equity and developing platforms to improve access to quality care and optimal health outcomes and is a leading voice and expert in health Eequity, women’s health policy and increasing diverse representation in clinical trials.
She is a globally recognized leader in medical product development and has been instrumental in numerous approvals for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostic tests. She has three decades of clinical leadership expertise in large health care systems and ‘global clinical development in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. She is a board-certified physician with broad therapeutic expertise and has been instrumental in the approvals of several pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices, and diagnostic tests. She leverages her medical, scientific and regulatory strategic insights to drive approvals for small, midsize and large biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Blackburne has been widely recognized for her community service and contributions to advancing health equity, thought leadership, and organizational excellence: The 2025 United States Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (signed by President Joseph Biden) in recognition of volunteerism and over 8000 lifetime hours of community service and advocacy; NAACP W. Montague Cobb National Award for Excellence and Leadership in Health Equity – Acknowledging her impactful initiatives in reducing health disparities, fostering inclusivity in clinical trials, and championing equitable healthcare practices; Thermo Fisher Scientific Lifetime Achievement Award – Celebrating her extraordinary commitment to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s mission and values through leadership, advocacy, and service, particularly in advancing Global Business Resource Groups (BRG) and amplifying diversity and inclusion; Top Blacks in Healthcare by BlackDoctors.org – Highlighting her standing as a global thought leader in health equity and Women’s Health; Morehouse School of Medicine National Alumni Association, Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award- awarded for fulfillment to the Morehouse School of Medicine’s mission through leadership, community service and clinical excellence
Dr. Blackburne has been a member of the National Medical Association since 1997 and has chaired and co-chaired the Physician Executive Section for 9 years (2012-2021), where she has developed extensive curricula on health equity, physician leadership, career development, and patient safety. Since 2009, she has been a medical advisor and expert contributor for NMA’s Project IMPACT (Increasing Minority Participation and Awareness in Clinical Trials) and currently serves on the NMA President’s Judiciary and Medical Legislation Councils. In 2024 Dr. Blackburne was elected NMA Region II (DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia) Vice Chair, developing regional programming for professional medical education, health policy and advancing medical education and research.
Dr. Blackburne received her medical degree at the Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, and completed an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Columbia University in New York, is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1999. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia, studied Health Policy and Health Care Delivery at Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, and her B.A. at University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Blackburne resides in Mitchellville, MD with her husband, Michael A. Covington.
