Bennett Shapiro

Bennett Shapiro is the Co-founder and Non-Executive Director of PureTech Health. Previously was EVP, Worldwide Licensing, Basic, and External Research for Merck. While at Merck, Dr. Shapiro led the research programs that resulted in FDA registration of approximately 20 drugs and vaccines.

As Executive Vice President at Merck, he was responsible for worldwide basic and preclinical research activities. From 1999-2003 Shapiro oversaw all in-licensing activities for Merck. Previously, he was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at 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 has served on many institutional advisory boards and scientific review panels, and is currently a member of the board of several life science companies, including VBL, Celera, Momenta, Elixir, and Ikaria. He also sits on the boards of the Drugs for Neglected Disease Initiative and the Mind and Life Institute. Dr. Shapiro received his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College.