Reshma Kewalramani gets Boston University Alumni Award

The award will be presented during the 77th Best of BU Alumni Awards ceremony in September, as part of BU’s Alumni Weekend celebrations.

Reshma Kewalramani / Boston University

Boston University has named Indian-American executive Reshma Kewalramani as a recipient of the 2025 Best of BU Alumni Award—one of the university’s highest honors recognizing leadership and impact.

An alumna of BU’s College of Arts and Sciences and Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine (Class of 1998), Kewalramani currently serves as the CEO and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Also read: Varinder Bhalla receives Washington State University alumni award

Born in Bombay, India, and raised in the United States from age 11, she completed her medical training in internal medicine and nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital before transitioning to leadership roles in drug development.

Since joining Vertex in 2017, Kewalramani has overseen the development of several transformative therapies. In 2020, she became the first female CEO of the major U.S. biotech firm. Under her leadership, Vertex achieved major milestones, including the approval of CRISPR-based treatments for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, and the FDA approval of Journavx, the first new class of pain medication in over two decades.

Beyond her scientific and corporate achievements, Kewalramani actively champions diversity in STEM and serves on the boards of Massachusetts General Hospital, Year Up, and BU’s School of Medicine. She has been recognized by Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People (2025) and Fortune’s Most Powerful Women.

Other recipients include Peter S. Del Vecho, Rebeca Carrillo Martinez, Russ Wilcox, and Clarence B. Jones.

Comments

This is a Premium Article, available exclusively to our subscribers.

Read 500+ such News or articles every month by subscribing today!
Monthly

Free

Limited Access

Limited View

Free weekly E-Paper

Subscribe Now
Monthly

$10

Full Access

Unlimited View

Free weekly E-Paper

Free daily newsletter

Subscribe Now
Annual

$50

Full Access

Unlimited View

Free weekly E-Paper

Free daily newsletter

Subscribe Now
Start the conversation

Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.

Sign Up Now

Already have an account? Login