Alum Bridges Public Health, Tech through idea hub.

School of Public Health alum Robert Knox, Jr. (CGS’08, Sargent’10, SPH’12) completed the Master of Public Health program in 2012, and now the telehealth expert is embarking on two new ventures at SPH. 

On January 28, Knox assumed his new role as chair of SPH’s Alumni Leadership Council (ALC), after serving as a council member since 2017. He is also a member of the newly formed advisory council for the idea hub, a school-wide initiative that aims to connect SPH researchers and resources with private industry and other non-traditional funders to inform and advance innovative solutions to public health issues. The committee will hold its first meeting at SPH on February 12.

“I’m extremely grateful that I’ve been able to reconnect with the school and become involved in multiple ways since I was a student,” says Knox, who studied health policy and management at SPH. “I’m excited about stepping into this leadership role with the ALC and thinking about different ways to effectively serve the students and the school community.”

ALC members serve as ambassadors of SPH who communicate and elevate the school’s vision and message to the 10,000-member alumni network, and to their own constituent groups. Council members also provide financial support to the school and offer guidance on a variety of SPH initiatives, including the Alumni Mentorship Program, regional alumni groups, multi-city Think. Teach. Do. alumni receptions, annual online fundraiser Giving Day, and now, for Knox, the idea hub.

Led by a 10-member advisory committee comprised of SPH Dean’s Advisory Board members, ALC members, and external industry leaders, the idea hub aims to leverage the transformative research and knowledge generated by SPH faculty, students, and staff with the public health objectives of a variety of organizations and stakeholders in the health field. Through financial donations, the idea hub will be able to facilitate opportunities for members of the SPH community to help inform or develop products and services for organizations working in data science, environmental health, telehealth, pharmaceuticals, and other health sectors.

As an inaugural member of the idea hub advisory committee, Knox says one of his primary goals is to bridge the gap between the fields of public health and technology. Currently a product manager at the Boston-based telemedicine company American Well, Knox will bring almost a decade of digital health experience, including past positions at Digital Cognition Technologies, Inc., where he managing the development of products that use artificial intelligence to detect Alzheimer’s disease, and at Opera Solutions, where he developed machine-learning platforms.

“One of the issues that start-ups have is accessing healthcare data—it’s expensive, and a very specific type of analysis is required to use that data effectively,” says Knox. “The idea hub can connect companies that have great ideas, but few resources, to the vast amount of brain power and data capabilities at SPH.

“It’s a great way for the school to remain a central point of healthcare innovation.”

Current funding opportunities through the idea hub support a range of projects, including pilot grant programs for faculty research, student practicum scholarships, and Activist Bucks, the SPH Activist Lab’s micro-grant program for students.

Knox says he is particularly looking forward to lending guidance, mentorship, and support to students interested in healthcare innovation and careers in digital health.

“I didn’t study technology in school, nor did I see my career going down that path—but for today’s rising and current students, technology is ingrained in everything that they do,” he says. “A student could have a great idea for a medical device one day, but may have never interacted with the FDA. That’s where I could step in through the idea hub, and inform them about the process and requirements for pursuing that type of project.”

To learn more about the idea hub or to donate to this initiative, click here.

—Jillian McKoy