Michael J. Robinson, MD

Dr. Michael J. Robinson is a physician originally from Canada, with a distinguished career spanning clinical psychiatry, academic medicine, and pharmaceutical leadership. He earned his medical degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where he also completed his specialization in Adult Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. He later pursued a fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University before returning to Queen’s University as an Associate Professor, where he led both clinical and research initiatives.

In 2004, Dr. Robinson transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry, beginning at Eli Lilly and Company as a Clinical Research Physician. Over the following years, he advanced into key leadership roles, overseeing clinical development programs in Psychiatry and Pain. In 2013, he joined AbbVie, where he served as Vice President of Global Therapeutic Areas and subsequently as Vice President, Head of U.S. and Puerto Rico Medical Affairs, leading a team of approximately 400 professionals. Throughout his industry tenure, Dr. Robinson played a central role in the development and successful launch of multiple therapeutics across diverse therapeutic areas. His academic contributions include 28 peer-reviewed publications, two book chapters, and numerous presentations at international conferences.

In December 2015, Dr. Robinson was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), prompting his retirement in April 2016. Since his diagnosis, he has remained deeply engaged in ALS advocacy, serving on multiple patient advisory committees for clinical trials and collaborating with leading ALS organizations. He is currently a panelist for the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for ALS and has recently served as a reviewer for NIH ALS grant proposals. His ongoing work focuses on advancing clinical trial design, refining ALS outcome measures, and promoting research in brain-computer interface technologies.