Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

The International Institute of New England is presenting this year’s Golden Door Award to Dr. Reshma Kewalramani. It is fitting that in the middle of a global pandemic we are honoring a scientist and global leader of a company devoted to helping patients fighting rare diseases.

ABOUT THE EVENT

The Golden Door Award has been an IINE tradition for more than 40 years. The honoree is an immigrant to the United States who has made outstanding contributions to American society. It is an occasion that calls us to stand together in celebration of the achievements of new Americans who have played an integral role in our community, economy, and society.

The Award takes its name from Emma Lazarus’s words, which are inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty: “From her beacon hand glows world-wide welcome…I lift my lamp beside the golden door”.

2021 GOLDEN DOOR AWARD HONOREE
Reshma Kewalramani, M.D.

Dr. Reshma Kewalramani is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. Vertex has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying causes of Cystic Fibrosis and other rare diseases.

Dr. Kewalramani is an accomplished leader and physician with a track record of building strong teams, putting patients first, leading change and delivering results.

As an immigrant and alumna of two Massachusetts universities, Dr. Kewalramani’s life and contributions to science exemplify the ingenuity and global leadership that benefits the United States in remaining open to brilliant minds from around the world. As the first female CEO of a top five biotech firm, she is inspiring people across generations and industries

For her successful efforts to provide life-saving medicines to people with rare diseases and for her leadership of one of the world’s premier biotechnology companies, the International Institute of New England proudly presents the 39th Golden Door Award to Dr. Reshma Kewalramani.

2021 GOLDEN DOOR AWARD HOST
Amaka Ubaka

Amaka

Amaka Ubaka is an Emmy award-winning journalist. She anchors 7NEWS Today in New England and 7NEWS at Noon.

Host Committee

Committee Co-Chairs

Timothy G. Ferris, M.D., CEO, Mass. General Physicians Organization
Linda Henry, CEO, Boston Globe Media
Diane Patrick, Partner, Ropes & Gray

Committee Members

Dr. Joseph Aoun, President, Northeastern University
Sangeeta Bhatia, M.D., Ph.D., John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nilanjana Bhowmik, Co-Founder & General Partner, Converge
Dr. Robert A. Brown, President, Boston University
Shamim Dahod, M.D.
, President, Noor il Iman Foundation
Nisreen Dahod
Desh Desphande, Chairman, Sparta Group LLC.
Tasneem Dohadwala
, Founding Partner, Excelestar Ventures
Andrew Dreyfus
, President and Chief Executive Office, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
John Fish, Chairman and CEO Suffolk Construction Company
Laurie H. Glimcher, M.D., President & CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Marianne Harrison
, Chief Executive Officer, John Hancock
Dr. Samarth Kulkarni
, CEO, Crispr Therapeutics
Dr. Jeff Leiden,
Executive Chairman, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Margaret Low,
Chief Executive Officer, WBUR
Sharon McNally
,
President, Camp Harbor View
Rob Perez, Operating Partner, General Atlantic, Founder and Chairman, Life Science Cares
Andrew Plump, M.D., Ph.D.
, President of Research and Development, Takeda
Reshma Shetty, Ph.D., Co-founder, Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
Kate Walsh, President and CEO, Boston Medical Center
Darshana Zaveri, Partner, Catalyst Health Ventures

IINE Board of Directors

Zoltan Csimma, Chair
Christina Bai
Tara Chynoweth
Sam Épée-Bounya
Ginger Gregory, Ph.D.
Tuan Ha-Ngoc
Avak Kahvejian, Ph.D.
William Krause
Shari Loessberg
Bopha Malone
Theo Melas-Kyriazi
Frederick Millham, M.D.
Deborah Shufrin
Nia Tatsis, Ph.D.
Jeff Thielman, President and CEO

Golden Legacy

Vertex

Advocate Sponsors

John Hancock

Partner Sponsors

Connors Family Office
The Kraft Group
MilliporeSigma
Sekisui Diagnostics
Triumvirate

Promoter Sponsors

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
John W. Henry Family Foundation
Shari Loessberg and Christopher Smart
MGH
Tripadvisor
Thuy and Tuan Ha-Ngoc
Putnam Investments

Ally Sponsors

Acceleron Pharma

AE Events

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Beth Israel Lahey Health

CBRE

Consigli

Converge

Jaishree and Gururaj Deshpande

EY

Bryn Einarsdóttir and Örn Almarsson

Flagship Pioneering

Gurnet Point Capital

Goodwin Procter LLP

Keros Therapeutics

Thomas Knight

MassBio

Lisa and Theo Melas-Kyriazi

PDB Foundation

Pfizer

Jasbir Seehra

Reshma Shetty, Ph.D.

Skadden

Dr. Nia Tatsis and Mr. Evan Tzanis

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Termeer Family

WilmerHale

Susan Whitehead

WS Development

Darshana Zaveri

Friend Sponsors

Rosamond W. Allen

Corey Bollier & Sylvia Jacob

Boston Children’s Hospital

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Denise & Bob DiCenso

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

Bruce Leicher and Ellen Sachs Leicher

MIT Office of Government & Community Relations

Novalis Life Sciences

Parlee Farms

Andrew Plump and Suzanne Driscoll Plump

UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc.

Kate Walsh and Erik Garpestad

WBUR

Supporter Sponsors

Christina Y. Bai

Jessica and Naiff Bethoney

Kate and Gerald Chertavian

Rogerio Vivaldi Coelho

Enterprise Bank

Mark and Hilary Finnegan

Georges and Josianne Gemayel

Karen and Steven Krichmar

Valerie and Gabe Schmergel

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

White Family Foundation