Dr. Hala Madanat is the Vice President for Research and Innovation at San Diego State University and Albert W. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Public Health. Dr. Madanat stewards the university’s expansive research enterprise, leads the development of SDSU’s Mission Valley Innovation District, and oversees SDSU’s research advancement, research support services and technology transfer efforts, the SDSU Research Foundation, as well as the university’s start-up incubator, the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad.
Under Dr. Madanat’s leadership, SDSU’s research reached $192.2 million in fiscal 2023 – an almost 40% increase in two years. Dr. Madanat was integral in launching Techstars San Diego Powered by SDSU, a world-class accelerator open to startups from around the world. She led the effort for the first national Academic Health and Human Services Department, a collaboration between SDSU and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services to establish the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership to address the need for a diverse workforce pipeline and the health disparities pervasive in our community today.