Life Science Cares Boston is pleased to announce the election of board member Abe Ceesay, President of Cerevel Therapeutics, as chair of the Board of Directors, and Robert G. Urban, former (retired) Global Head of J&J Innovation, as vice chair of the Board of Directors. Chip Clark, President & CEO of Genocea, has been elected as a new member of the LSC Boston Board of Directors.

“In the last five years, Life Science Cares Boston has grown from an idea to an industry-wide movement and I am thrilled to have Abe and Robert leading us into the next phase of our evolution,” said Rob Perez, LSC Founder and immediate past-Chair of the Board of Directors. “Under their leadership and with Chip’s commitment to our work, we are well positioned to build even stronger community partnerships and deepen our impact on our neighbors in need.”

Mr. Ceesay brings nearly two decades of experience in biopharmaceutical leadership and established commitment to non-profit organizations in the Boston community to Life Science Cares. Mr. Ceesay has served as President of Cerevel Therapeutics, a clinical-stage neuroscience company, since May 2021. He previously served as the chief executive officer at Tiburio Therapeutics. Prior to joining Tiburio, Mr. Ceesay served as chief operating officer at scPharmaceuticals, where he developed and led all operational and commercial aspects of the company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, and a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Management. He has served on the LSC Board of Directors since 2020.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as chair of Life Science Cares Boston. Serving our community and furthering our impact on poverty is an area of deep personal passion for me. Rob’s vision for Life Science Cares has become one of the most meaning community endeavors in our industry. I look forward to working more closely with the Life Science Cares team and broadening our impact in Boston for many years to come.” Mr. Ceesay said.

Mr. Urban offers a long personal commitment to philanthropy. After over 25 years in the healthcare industry, in 2018 Urban retired as the Global Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, LLC.  Prior to J&J, Mr. Urban was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the founding Executive Director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Previously, Mr. Urban held a variety of Co-Founder, CEO and senior leadership roles in the biopharmaceutical industry. Currently, he sits on the boards of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s BioInnovation Institute in Denmark, Arkuda Therapeutics and Opening Doors Cambodia. Urban holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Microbiology and his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Texas system, and was an Irvington Fellow in structural immunology at Harvard University. He has served on the LSC Board of Directors since 2020.

Chip Clark has served as President and CEO of Genocea, a company creating best-in-class, next generation cancer immunotherapies, since February 2011 after serving as Chief Business Officer from August 2010 to February 2011. Prior to joining Genocea, he served as Chief Business Officer at Vanda Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company he co-founded in 2004. Mr. Clark holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

While stepping down as board chair, Mr. Perez remains a member of the Board of Directors at LSC Boston, and a member of the Boards of Managers at LSC Philadelphia, LSC San Diego and LSC Bay Area. He also continues to chair the LSC Steering Committee, which oversees and coordinates activities of all the affiliates.

The LSC Board of Directors sets the strategic direction of the organization and is responsible for the nonprofit’s fiscal health. Board members help to govern and lead the Boston-based collective’s corporate social responsibility effort as it continues to expand nationwide and ensure the nonprofit delivers on its mission to connect life science companies and to improve the lives of those experiencing poverty. For more information about Life Science Cares, visit www.lifesciencecares.org.