Joe Amaral, MD
Chief Medical and Scientific Officer

Dr Amaral is the Chief Medical Officer of Venture Investors Health Fund. In this role, he provides CMO input and clinical strategy to multiple portfolio companies including Elucent, Eximis and EnsoData. In addition, Dr Joe is Vice President of Medical and Clinical Affairs for HistoSonics where he oversees clinical trials and strategy.

From 2009 to 2019 Dr. Amaral held multiple corporate executive roles (including VP of Corporate Science and Technology, VP and Chief Scientific Officer Ethicon EndoSurgery, and VP Innovation Ethicon) at Johnson & Johnson focusing on innovation, energy-based technologies, and surgical oncology. From 2000 to 2007, Dr. Amaral was President and CEO of Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) and its pediatric division Hasbro Children’s Hospital leading an over $60 million turnaround. Prior to that, Dr. Amaral was Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Brown University School of Medicine, Chief of Surgery at Rhode Island Hospital and President of University Surgical Associates.

He is Professor of Surgery (Emeritus) at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, member of 25 professional societies, author of 100+ papers and book chapters and has delivered over 500 national and international presentations. He has performed approximately 3,000 laparoscopic procedures, trained hundreds of practicing surgeons in these techniques and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in minimally invasive surgery, in the development and commercialization of new technologies, and in energy based technologies, most notably the Harmonic Scalpel which he co-developed.

Key Achievements:

  • Developed clinical research trial and registry for first in man experience with flexible microwave ablation for patients with medically inoperable lung cancer.
  • Clinical Research documented elimination of adult onset diabetes, reversal of vitamin B12 deficiency with oral supplements, maintenance of long-term weight loss following bariatric surgery.
  • Championed and co-led multiple diligence and acquisition projects, including: Megadyne, NeuWave, Techsomed and Histosonics.
  • Author of two textbooks, 26 chapters in textbooks and 79 Peer reviewed scientific manuscripts.

Education & Certifications:

  • B.S., Biology (Summa Cum Laude), Providence College
  • M.D., Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University
  • Surgical Residency and Research Fellowship, Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University

Hobbies:

    In his spare time, Joe enjoys photography, woodworking, golf, and art.