Reshma Kewalramani
Reshma Kewalramani, is the president and chief executive officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company based in Boston, Massachusetts, as of April 1, 2020. She is the first female CEO of a large US biotech company. She was previously the chief medical officer and vice president of global medicines development and medical affairs at Vertex. Early life and education. Kewalramani was born in Bombay, India. She and her family immigrated to the US when she was 11 years old. She graduated in 1998 from the seven-year liberal arts/medical education program at Boston University, Phi Beta Kappa , Summa Cum Laude. She finished her internship and residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and her fellowship in nephrology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital combined program. After finishing her fellowship in clinical nephrology she did research in transplantation. She graduated from the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2015. Career. Kewalramani began her career as a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She was also a physician at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She then entered the biopharma sector, working  for Amgen for over 12 years, where she held leadership positions in research and development. In 2017 she joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals. She assumed the role of president and CEO on April 1, 2020 and is a member of the Vertex Board of Directors. Since she became CEO, Vertex has developed cystic fibrosis therapy drug Trikafta, APOL1-mediated kidney disease experimental apolipoprotein L1 inhibitor, VX-147, and pain programs into the clinic. The company has also partnered with CRISPR Therapeutics to develop gene-editing therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Boards and awards. She is the recipient  of the American College of Physicians Associates Council Award, the American Medical Women's Association Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation, and the Harvard Medical School Excellence in Teaching Award. Kewalramani is also a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and received board certification in Internal Medicine in 2001 and in Nephrology in 2003. She is a member of the board of directors of the Biomedical Science Careers Program and sits on the Boston University School of Medicine Dean's Advisory Committee. In 2019, she received the TiE Boston Healthcare Leadership Award, and was named one of Boston Business  Journal's Power 50. In 2020, Kewalramani was named to the inaugural Business Leaders List by Indiaspora. Personal life. Kewalramani lives in Massachusetts, and has twin sons.