David Strong MD, PhD

David Strong, MD, PhD serves as a Principal Investigator and Medical Director at Flourish Research’s Detroit site. He brings extensive clinical, academic, and leadership experience across emergency medicine, public health preparedness, and clinical research.

Dr. Strong earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, where his early research focused on cellular metabolism in central nervous system neurons. He completed his medical and doctoral training through the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University in St. Louis, earning a PhD in Pathology & Immunology. His doctoral research investigated host and pathogen genetic factors contributing to virulence in Norovirus infection.

He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, followed by fellowship training in Emergency Medical Services through the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center program. After training, Dr. Strong joined the Henry Ford Medical Group, where he cared for a diverse patient population and developed broad expertise in the management of acute and chronic disease.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Strong has held multiple leadership roles focused on regional healthcare readiness and emergency response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as Medical Director of the TCF Regional Care Center, providing care during the earliest and most challenging months of the public health crisis. He previously served as Deputy Medical Director for the Region 2 South Healthcare Coalition, where he worked closely with healthcare systems and public health partners to strengthen regional preparedness and response capabilities.

Prior to joining Flourish Research, Dr. Strong served as a Principal Investigator at Headlands Research, where his clinical research interests included vaccines and vaccine preventable illness, obesity and weight management, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). He is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in both Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services, and he holds certification as an American Board of Obesity Medicine Diplomate.

A proud native of Southeast Michigan, Dr. Strong is deeply committed to expanding access to high-quality medical care and clinical research opportunities in the communities he serves. He and his wife are raising their two children in the region.