Bennett M. Shapiro

Biography

Dr. Bennett M. Shapiro, also known as Ben, M.D., is a Co-founder of PureTech Health plc. and served as its Senior Partner. He cofounded Tal Medical, Inc. in 2010. From 1990 to 2003, he was Executive Vice President, Worldwide Licensing, Basic and External Research at Merck Research Laboratories of Merck & Co., Inc. and was responsible for all the basic and preclinical research activities at Merck & Co., Inc., later Licensing and External Research, responsible for Merck & Co., Inc.’s relationships with the academic and industrial biomedical research community -- leadership resulting in the discovery, development and registration of some 25 drugs and vaccines. He joined Merck Research Laboratories in September 1990 as Executive Vice President of Basic Research. In this position he was responsible for all the basic and preclinical research activities at Merck worldwide. From 1999 to 2003, Dr. Shapiro oversaw all in-licensing activities for Merck & Co., Inc. Previously, he led the research program that resulted in FDA registration of approximately 25 drugs and vaccines including Vioxx, Arcoxia, Emend, Cozaar, VACQTA and many others. He served as Medical and Scientific Advisor at Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Shapiro was a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at University of Washington, where he worked from 1970 to 1990. He has been the Chairman of Vascular Biogenics Ltd. since 2007 and has been its Non-Executive Director since September 2004. Dr. Shapiro serves as the Chairman of VBL therapeutics, Ltd (VBLT). He served as the Chairman of PureTech Health plc. He serves as a Director of Celera Corporation and VBL. He serves as Non Executive Director of PureTech Health plc. He serves as Member of Scientific Advisory Board at Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Gelesis, Inc. He serves as a Director of Protein Forest, Inc. He serves as a Member of Scientific Advisory Board at Hua Medicine (Shanghai) Ltd. He serves as a Non Executive Director at Demand Media, Inc. He serves as a Director of Vedanta Biosciences, Inc., Karuna Pharmaceuticals Inc and Akili Interactive Laboratories. He has been Non Executive Director of Tal Medical, Inc. since 2010. He serves as a Member of Advisory Board at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. He serves as a Member of Scientific Advisory Board at Fate Therapeutics, Inc. He has been a Director at Celera Corporation since May 2008. He served as a Director at Satori Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. He also sits on the boards of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, the Mind and Life Institute and the Garrison Institute. He serves as a Director of Enlight Biosciences LLC and served as its Member of Advisory Board. Dr. Shapiro has served on many institutional advisory boards and scientific review panels. He served as a Director at Ikaria, Inc. since April 2005. He has served on many institutional advisory boards and scientific review panels. He served as a Director of Elixir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since April 2003. Dr. Shapiro served as an Independent Director at Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. from May 2003 to June 22, 2016. He served as Scientific Advisor of RDAB Board at BG Medicine, Inc. Following an internship in Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, he was a Research Associate at the NIH, then a Visiting Scientist at the Institut Pasteur in Paris and returned to the NIH as Chief–Section on Cellular Differentiation in the Laboratory of Biochemistry prior to joining the University of Washington. He is the author of over 120 papers on the molecular regulation of cellular behavior and the biochemical events that integrate the cascade of cellular activations at fertilization. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and a Visiting Professor at the University of Nice. Dr. Shapiro holds M.D. from Thomas Jefferson University/Jefferson Medical College; and a B.S. in Chemistry from Dickinson College.

Research Interest

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