David Altshuler,
M.D., Ph.D.
Executive Vice President
and Chief Scientific Officer
David’s passion for human biology and therapeutic innovation has driven his 40-year career as a physician scientist. He joined Vertex in 2015 and leads internal research and external innovation, corporate data strategy, technology and data sciences. With the goal of discovering transformative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases, he developed and implemented our research strategy and is responsible for shaping the research pipeline. He serves as the executive sponsor for Vertex University. Before joining as Vertex’s Chief Scientific Officer, he served on the company’s board of directors from 2012 to 2014.
Prior to Vertex, David was a Founding Core Member, Deputy Director and Chief Academic Officer at the Broad Institute of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was Professor of Genetics and Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Adjunct Professor of Biology at MIT and a physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He earned his bachelor’s degree in life sciences from MIT, his M.D. and Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard Medical School and completed his clinical training at MGH. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.
David is actively involved in the medical and scientific community, including as chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the MGH Research Institute Advisory Council, the Science Review Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the board of directors of the Boston Museum of Science. He continues to teach students as a senior lecturer in genetics and medicine at MGH and Harvard.
He has received numerous awards including the Curt Stern Award of the American Society of Human Genetics and the Outstanding Scientific Research Award of the American Diabetes Association. The Obama White House named him a Champion of Change for his leadership in creating and leading the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health. In 2021, he was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential R&D Executives in drug development by Endpoints News.
David’s passion for human biology and therapeutic innovation has driven his 40-year career as a physician scientist. He joined Vertex in 2015 and leads internal research and external innovation, corporate data strategy, technology and data sciences. With the goal of discovering transformative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases, he developed and implemented our research strategy and is responsible for shaping the research pipeline. He serves as the executive sponsor for Vertex University. Before joining as Vertex’s Chief Scientific Officer, he served on the company’s board of directors from 2012 to 2014.
Prior to Vertex, David was a Founding Core Member, Deputy Director and Chief Academic Officer at the Broad Institute of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was Professor of Genetics and Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Adjunct Professor of Biology at MIT and a physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He earned his bachelor’s degree in life sciences from MIT, his M.D. and Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard Medical School and completed his clinical training at MGH. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.
David is actively involved in the medical and scientific community, including as chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the MGH Research Institute Advisory Council, the Science Review Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the board of directors of the Boston Museum of Science. He continues to teach students as a senior lecturer in genetics and medicine at MGH and Harvard.
He has received numerous awards including the Curt Stern Award of the American Society of Human Genetics and the Outstanding Scientific Research Award of the American Diabetes Association. The Obama White House named him a Champion of Change for his leadership in creating and leading the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health. In 2021, he was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential R&D Executives in drug development by Endpoints News.