Howard Krein

Howard David Krein, born in either 1966 or 1967, is an American medical professional and business executive specializing in otolaryngology and facial reconstructive surgery. He is a professor of otolaryngology at Thomas Jefferson University and a founding partner and co-director of the Herbert Kean Center for Facial Aesthetics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Krein is also the chief medical officer at StartUp Health, a venture capital and health technology firm. Between 2017 and 2019, he served on the board of the Biden Cancer Initiative. Additionally, Krein advised the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign regarding its COVID-19 pandemic response in an unofficial capacity.

**Early Life and Education**

Howard Krein was raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. His father was Stanley Krein, an insurance executive and former director of marketing at Aetna, and his mother was Brenda Ferne "Bunny" Lipner Krein, a physician assistant specializing in cardiology at Cooper University Hospital. Krein’s family background is Jewish. As a teenager, he participated in CowTown, a weekly summer rodeo competition held in Penns Grove, New Jersey, and became a volunteer firefighter at age sixteen.

He attended Rutgers University, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in neuroscience. In 1996, Krein obtained a doctoral degree in cell and developmental biology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He completed his medical degree at Thomas Jefferson University in 2000, followed by an internship in emergency medicine and general surgery, and a residency in otolaryngology at Jefferson. He also completed a fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Medical College of Virginia.

**Career**

Krein is a board-certified otolaryngologist with specialized expertise in facial and reconstructive surgery. His volunteer activities include operating on children with facial deformities at the International Hospital for Children in Belize and performing reconstructive surgeries for victims of domestic violence and veterans of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq through Faces of Honor.

Since 2007, Krein has served on the faculty at Thomas Jefferson University. He became the Senior Director of Health Policy and Innovation at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in 2016. He is a founding partner and co-director of the Herbert Kean Center for Facial Aesthetics at Jefferson University Hospital.

In the corporate sector, Krein has been the Chief Medical Officer at StartUp Health since 2011. The organization, previously known as Organized Wisdom, is a venture capital and health technology firm with its CEO being Krein's brother. The firm engaged in lobbying efforts concerning health industry technology regulations in 2018. As part of his role, Krein participated in initiatives to invest in healthcare startups focused on solutions related to the COVID-19 pandemic starting in March 2020.

Krein's advisory role in the Biden 2020 presidential campaign involved providing insights on COVID-19 response strategies based on his clinical experience and hospital coordination efforts. His position with StartUp Health, alongside his advisory activities, led to discussions about potential conflicts of interest. Formerly, StartUp Health also described Krein as an advisor to the Obama administration in 2011.

**Personal Life**

Krein began dating Ashley Biden in 2010 after being introduced by her half-brother, Beau Biden. The couple married in June 2012 in an interfaith ceremony held at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware, officiated by a Catholic priest with assistance from a rabbi. As of August 2025, Ashley Biden filed for divorce from Howard Krein.