Former Mass. Governor Deval Patrick, life sciences executive Amy Schulman join Whitehead Institute Board of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Whitehead Institute announced today that Deval Patrick, a Bain Capital managing director and former Massachusetts governor, and Amy Schulman, a distinguished life sciences executive, have been elected to its Board of Directors.

During his two terms as governor of the Commonwealth, Patrick oversaw the expansion of affordable health care and launched the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, a 10-year, $1 billion investment in life sciences research, infrastructure, and education. In 2015, he joined Bain Capital as a managing director of the firm’s Double Impact business, which seeks investments that deliver both a competitive financial return and significant positive societal benefit. Patrick’s other career highlights include stints as general counsel of The Coca Cola Company and Texaco, Inc., and an appointment by President Clinton as assistant attorney general overseeing the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Whitehead Institute has been a symbol of our state’s excellence in biomedical research and a leader in our biotech ecosystem for more than three decades,” says Patrick. “It’s an honor to contribute to an organization so passionate in its scientific pursuits in the name of improving human health.”    

Schulman brings to Whitehead a wealth of industry experience, having held leadership positions within both the large pharmaceutical and innovative startup arenas. She has previously served as executive vice president and general counsel of Pfizer, Inc., while simultaneously leading Pfizer’s global consumer healthcare business. In 2014, she joined Polaris Partners as a healthcare investor—simultaneously becoming CEO of Arsia Therapeutics—and in 2015 co-founded Lyndra, an early-stage company aimed at improving the sustained release of oral medications. She currently serves as the executive chair for SQZ Biotech sits on the boards of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Blue Buffalo Pet Food.  

“I am a long-time admirer of Whitehead Institute, both for the caliber of its science and for its commitment to entrepreneurial development,” says Schulman. “As our biotech and scientific community grows, Whitehead’s impressive history and outreach are notable, and I’m delighted to join the board as we further move the Institute’s discoveries forward to patients.”

For his part, Whitehead Institute Director David Page is looking forward to welcoming Schulman and Patrick to their first formal board meeting next week.

“We’re truly fortunate to have Amy and Deval join our ranks,” says Page. “Together, the breadth and depth of their public and private sector experience and expertise are unrivalled. I know their perspectives and insights will be enormously valuable as we move Whitehead Institute forward.”