Leslie Ann Saxon, MD

Professor of Medicine (Clinical Scholar)

Executive Director, Center for Body Computing (CBC)

Institute for Creative Technologies Lab Director

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Overview

Dr. Leslie Saxon is a professor of clinical medicine (clinical scholar) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and preventing sudden cardiac death. In addition to her work in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Saxon serves as the executive director of the internationally acclaimed USC Center for Body Computing (CBC) and newly formed USC Virtual Care Clinic (VCC). The CBC is currently a place for all USC schools, including medicine, engineering, business and the cinematic arts, to form interdisciplinary relationships and accelerate the future of fully integrated, “connected” medicine alongside public and private sector partners. She is a well-known authority on the pre-clinical and clinical development and testing of wearable and implanted technology, including networked devices used in medical, wellness and fitness disciplines. With her clinical expertise, she is a valuable strategist in developing device models and software solutions that offer engaging user-feedback based on real-time physiologic data. Her cultivation of critical innovative partnerships to jointly commercialize products within the CBC is essential for furthering and improving the dissemination of medical information, enhancing communication and improving health outcomes. Dr. Saxon has completed over 150 publications in various medical journals, has spoken at various forums, including TEDMED, South by Southwest (SXSW), WIRED Health and CES, and was recently named “Most Tech Friendly Doc” by Rock Health. Known as a digital health guru, Dr. Saxon is frequently interviewed by national media.

Awards

  • American College of Cardiology: Fellow
  • Heart Rhythm Society: Fellow
  • The Muses of the California Science Center Foundation: Woman of the Year Award, 2019

Publications

  • Direct-to-Participant Enrollment in a Virtual Trial: Lessons Learned From the Heartline Study. JACC Adv. 2026 Apr; 5(4):102662.. View in PubMed
  • Health Care 2025: How Consumer-Facing Devices Change Health Management and Delivery. J Med Internet Res. 2025 04 23; 27:e60766.. View in PubMed
  • Continuous Assessment of Active-Duty Army Special Operations and Reconnaissance Marines Using Digital Devices and Custom Software: The Digital Comprehensive Operator Readiness Assessment (DcORA) Study. J Spec Oper Med. 2024 Jun 25; 24(2):52-60.. View in PubMed
  • Force plate assessments in reconnaissance marine training company. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024 Jan 13; 16(1):16.. View in PubMed
  • Does early detection of atrial fibrillation reduce the risk of thromboembolic events? Rationale and design of the Heartline study. Am Heart J. 2023 05; 259:30-41.. View in PubMed
  • A Novel Digital Research Methodology for Continuous Health Assessment of the Special Operations Warfighter: The Digital cORA Study. J Spec Oper Med. 2022 Dec 16; 22(4):78-82.. View in PubMed
  • Counting on U training to enhance trusting relationships and mental health literacy among business advisors: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 06 15; 22(1):400.. View in PubMed
  • The effect of cardiac resynchronization without a defibrillator on morbidity and mortality: an individual patient data meta-analysis of COMPANION and CARE-HF. Eur J Heart Fail. 2022 06; 24(6):1080-1090.. View in PubMed
  • Diverse predictors of early attrition in an elite Marine training school. Mil Psychol. 2022; 34(4):388-397.. View in PubMed
  • Player Tracking Technology and Data for Injury Prevention in the National Football League. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2021 Sep 01; 20(9):436-439.. View in PubMed