Dr. Daniel Golden currently serves as the vice president and global head of research, discovery and breakthrough innovation at Elanco Animal Health headquartered in Greenfield, IN. In this role, he is responsible for all scientific discovery, proof of concept determination and initial product ideas within Elanco’s internal research laboratories and through external collaboration.
Previously Golden was the executive director of next generation product development at Elanco. Responsible for research efforts aimed at identification and development of market transforming technologies within animal including digital, diagnostics and novel pharmaceutical modalities.
Golden began in animal health in 2009, holding several roles of increasing responsibility in research and development including within project management, portfolio management, project leadership and ultimately as director of pharmaceutical development. Golden joined Elanco in 2015 as director of global swine pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical product development expanding responsibilities to global swine and poultry product development.
In 2017, Golden helped establish a business unit in support of Elanco’s expansion to the consumer retail market serving as the lead of the animal care expansion business unit’s product development group. In addition he took on responsibility for the United States pet specialty retail business leading sales and marketing of Elanco’s portfolio within both brick and mortar, and online retail markets.
Golden began his research career as an undergraduate research assistant at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine studying biology and control of clinically relevant parasites of both companion and production animals. After his graduation from Auburn, Golden entered doctoral dissertation research in the biochemistry and molecular biology of African Trypanosomes. Golden then moved to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, for postdoctoral research in RNA interference. He was awarded both a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health and a fellowship from the American Cancer Society.
Golden graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in microbiology in 1998. He earned his doctorate in biochemistry & molecular genetics at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. He currently is a member of the American Association for Advancement of Science and serves on the Dean Advisory Council in Auburn University’s College of Science and Mathematics.