Ellen Strahlman, M.D., M.H.Sc., has been appointed to the newly created position of chief medical officer and senior vice president of R&D at Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD), effective April 22, 2013. Dr. Strahlman will oversee the company's Medical Affairs and R&D functions and will serve as a member of the Management Committee and Leadership Team. She will report to chairman, chief executive officer and president Vincent A. Forlenza.
 
Dr. Strahlman joins the company from GlaxoSmithKline, where she served as senior vice president and chief medical officer since 2008, and more recently as senior medical advisor and global head of Neglected Tropical Diseases. Prior to GSK, Dr. Strahlman has held executive leadership roles at Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Bausch & Lomb that included oversight of the development and commercialization of proprietary and generic pharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems and medical devices. 
 
"I am very pleased that Dr. Strahlman will be joining BD at a time when we are strategically focused on driving growth through innovation and customer focus," said Mr. Forlenza. "She brings extensive experience as a senior physician and leader in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, and her patient-centric approach aligns with our focus on providing innovative solutions to address the healthcare needs of customers and patients."