Bio

Donna Russell is founder and CEO of Precia Group, a Contract Research Organization (CRO) launched in 2020 to increase the number of women in research studies by establishing the first-of-its-kind network of US community hospitals and clinics and engaging women as partners. This new model is enabling scientists and clinicians in academia and industry to access a significantly larger pool of women and a more racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and geographically diverse cohort. This novel approach will further accelerate translational research and development of diagnostics, therapeutics and prevention strategies in women’s health. Precia is currently focusing on women’s reproductive health, pregnancy and menopause, but over time will expand its service areas to include all aspects of women’s health throughout the lifespan. Prior to launching Precia Group, Donna spent more than two decades working in maternal, newborn health research both in the US as a Director of Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and globally consulting with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other major funders. She has extensive experience establishing biobanks in both the developed and developing world to support pregnancy cohorts and research networks in the community-setting and harmonizing collections across multiple networks and continents to enable large-scale omics studies. For nearly a decade, Donna has also served in leadership positions on the governing board of Valley Medical Center, a large community hospital affiliated with the University of Washington. She has a deep understanding of how to successfully integrate research into the clinical setting to ensure high-quality, diverse, equitable studies.