PVRI welcomes Joan Zhang to the IDDI leadership team
22 June 2026
PVRI is delighted to announce that Joan Zhang will join the leadership team for the Innovative Drug Development Initiative (IDDI), as Sidra Hoffman steps down from the role.
We are deeply grateful to Sidra for her leadership, insight, and commitment to the IDDI. Her contribution has helped strengthen the initiative as a global forum for open discussion, collaboration, and progress in PH drug development.
Joan Zhang is Senior Director, Global Medical Excellence, General & Specialty Medicine at Merck. She brings over 30 years of experience in pulmonary hypertension, cardiology, and medical affairs, spanning clinical practice and biopharmaceutical leadership. She began her career as a Nurse Practitioner at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she helped build a multidisciplinary pulmonary hypertension program and cared for patients with PAH and advanced heart failure.
Since joining industry, she has held leadership roles at United Therapeutics, Acceleron Pharma, and Merck, where she has led both global medical affairs teams and MSL organizations, advancing medical strategy across the product lifecycle. She is widely recognized for her deep expertise in the pulmonary hypertension therapeutic landscape and strong global scientific partnerships. Joan holds an MSN and an MBA.
Speaking about her new role, Joan said:
“I am truly honoured to join the PVRI IDDI leadership team. This opportunity is both professionally meaningful and personally inspiring, as it brings together global experts united by a shared commitment to advancing science and improving the lives of patients with pulmonary vascular disease.”
Joan joins the current IDDI leadership team alongside Luke Howard, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; Gil Golden, United Therapeutics Corporation; and Sandeep Sahay, Houston Methodist Hospital.
PVRI looks forward to working with Joan as the IDDI continues to bring people together across disciplines, sectors, and regions to advance PH research and improve care for patients worldwide.
