David Madigan

Biography

David Madigan joined Northeastern from Columbia University, where he served as executive vice president for arts and sciences and dean of the faculty of arts and sciences. In those roles, he oversaw five schools comprising 27 departments and some 50 research centers and institutes. He also led successful initiatives to expand lifelong learning programs and make Columbia’s faculty and student body more diverse. Notably, he spearheaded a program to ensure that Columbia’s first-generation students would have the mentoring and support they needed to succeed in a highly demanding academic environment. 

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Madigan has long been a leading researcher at the intersection of Big Data and healthcare innovation. He also brings a strong global perspective to his career. A native of Ireland, Madigan has led large-scale global collaborations involving academic and pharmaceutical company researchers and government regulators in the U.S. and Europe. Beyond the halls of academia, he has experience as an entrepreneur, innovation leader, researcher, and consultant, both in the U.S. and Ireland. He earned his bachelor’s degree and PhD from Trinity College Dublin.