Duane Schulthess is the CEO of Vital Transformation, a consultancy focused on quantifying and defining innovation and change in the health-care sector. He regularly works with regulators, multi-national corporations, governments, and stakeholder groups, clarifying the impact of health policy changes and technological innovations. Duane is the lead author of The Inflation Reduction Act's Impact upon Early-stage Venture Capital Investments, a January 2025 medRxiv preprint documenting a marked decline in small-molecule drug investment post-IRA. His often-cited 2019 BMJ article, Are CAR-T therapies living up to their hype?, is recognized for advancing real-world evidence. Duane has spoken at top global events, including BIO, DIA, the European Health Forum Gastein, and the Basel Biozentrum. He hosts and produces the Vital Health Podcast, ranked among the top 30 healthcare podcasts. He was formerly EMEA Head of Corporate Development at The Wall Street Journal and Commercial Director at Science|Business. He holds a BA Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Pacific and an MBA with Distinction from KU Leuven’s Vlerick Business School. He is a senior associate of the UK’s Royal Society of Medicine.