Dr. Gardner has spent more than 35 years in academia, medicine and industry. She has served on the board of directors of several public and private companies, including Revance Therapeutics, Inc. since 2006, Corium International, Inc. from November 2007 to December 2018, and CohBar, Inc. from February 2019 to present. Dr. Gardner has also served as an advisor to Change Health Care, Inc. from April 2019 to present. From June 1999 to July 2014, she served in various capacities including as an Adjunct Partner at Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, a growth equity firm that focuses on the healthcare industry (and a predecessor firm to EW Healthcare Partners, a holder of MiMedx Series B Preferred Stock). Additionally, Dr. Gardner has been a member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows since April 2013 and is a scientific reviewer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
She began her academic medical career at Stanford University, where she has held several positions including Senior Associate Dean for Education and Student Affairs and remains today as Professor of Medicine. From 1994 to 1998, she took a leave of absence from Stanford University to serve as Principal Scientist, Vice President of Research and Head of ALZA Technology Institute, a major drug delivery company.
Dr. Gardner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Illinois and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School. She trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by Chief Residency at Stanford University Hospital and post-doctoral fellowships at Columbia University and University College London.