John Phillip Bamforth

JOHN PHILLIP BAMFORTH came of age in the 60s and 70s in the northwest of England. His hometown of Wigan could not have been more white and blue collar. Wigan is an old coal mining town, forged in the industrial revolution, founded on a hard-nosed, straightforward culture brought to life in George Orwell’s book “The Road to Wigan Pier” and best personified by its championship winning rugby team. Growing up, John had no idea how “white” his world was. Most of his encounters with people of color were infused by a level of casual, demeaning and dehumanizing racism across his community that still shocks him today. 

His world opened up, as it does for many, when he went off to college at the University of Bath and later to graduate school at Aston University in Birmingham. He began to make friends with people from an array of backgrounds and developed a deep, life-long interest in other cultures and subcultures which has enriched his academic, professional and personal journey through life. 

With a PhD in neuropharmacology, John joined Eli Lilly in 1989, and focused on building global brands and leading highly engaged and diverse teams. He emigrated to the U.S. in 2001. After retiring from Eli Lilly, he returned to academia to lead Eshelman Innovation at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This institute is focused on translating the brightest and best ideas on campus into products and services that impact patients.