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Reshma Kewalramani to speak at BU commencement
She will also receive an honorary Doctor of Science from the university.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 02, May 2026
- 17:13 EDT
- 51
Vertex CEO Reshma Kewalramani / LinkedIn/Reshma Kewalramani
Indian American biotech executive Reshma Kewalramani will deliver the main address at Boston University’s 153rd Commencement ceremony on May 17.
The CEO and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals will also receive an honorary Doctor of Science at the ceremony, the university announced.
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Kewalramani became CEO and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2020, becoming the first woman to lead a large publicly traded U.S. biotechnology company.
She joined Vertex in 2017 as chief medical officer after more than a decade at Amgen, where she held senior roles in research and development.
Under her leadership, Vertex has expanded treatments for cystic fibrosis and advanced therapies for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. In partnership with CRISPR Therapeutics, the company developed CASGEVY, the first approved CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy for these conditions, marking a milestone in genetic medicine.
The company has also expanded into new areas including acute pain and type 1 diabetes, while growing into a global biotechnology firm valued at over $100 billion.
Kewalramani began her career as a physician and researcher, working at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and affiliated institutions, with a focus on nephrology and transplantation research.
Her work in science and leadership has drawn global recognition. She was named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2025 and the TIME Women of the Year 2026 list and has also appeared on Fortune’s Most Powerful People in Business list.
From Boston University, she received the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from its Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and serves on the school’s Dean’s Advisory Board.
She also serves on multiple boards, including the Biomedical Science Careers Program and Mass General Brigham.
Born in Bombay, India, Kewalramani moved to the United States at the age of 11.She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in nephrology through a joint program with Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She later completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2015.
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