Dr. Whalen speaks frequently at international and national conferences on global biomedical research challenges, safety/pharmacovigilance, patient recruitment, applied bioethics, and research-related public policy and regulations.  He also publishes on the same topics.

Currently, he is a Principal of IMPACT LLC, a professional services firm with Life Sciences industry and U.S. FDA clients.  Whalen has extensive experience in economic development, specifically public-private partnerships, as well as evaluation, funding, and managing resulting changes of start-up and turnaround enterprises.

In addition, he has served on both for-profit and non-profit Boards of Directors as well as on organization or effort Steering Committees; and Editorial Boards of peer-review journals.

He co-founded/-led Chesapeake Research Review, Inc., a professional services firm and an independent IRB (ethics committee) serving the biomedical research industry that won multiple business recognitions; and the non-profit Pharmaceutical Safety Institute. 

He has also been a Vice President of the Washington, DC Regional Office of Right Management Consultants developing and delivering change management and executive development services.

Faculty positions he has held include the University of Maryland (College Park), Temple University (Philadelphia), and Trinity College (Washington, DC).  His doctoral work focused on science, culture, and society (University of Maryland).  Post-doctoral work has included Organization Development (Georgetown University, Washington, DC); Mediation (University of Vermont); International Research Ethics (U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH); and The Johns Hopkins University); and Executive Development (Center for Creative Leadership and Center for Excellence).