Chandra Ramanathan, executive-in-residence at Mass General Brigham and a biopharmaceutical executive with extensive experience translating scientific ideas into treatment options and access for patients with high medical needs, has joined McLean Hospital’s Board of Trustees.
Ramanathan cited his passion for and expertise in speeding innovations to positively impact patient care, along with McLean’s reputation as an outstanding institution, as reasons for his involvement.
“This is such a promising time for clinical innovation, particularly addressing huge unmet need in mental health,” Ramanathan said. “There is tremendous opportunity to couple the advances in our understanding of the complexity of the brain with digital tools, which can lead to transformative options in neuropsychiatry and patient care.”
Ramanathan has led several initiatives across pharma, biotech, start-ups, and academia from early-stage discovery programs to launching new products.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chandra to the McLean community. His expertise in translational research, combined with his commitment to improving the lives of people living with psychiatric disorders through the advancement of clinical care informed by research, is going to be invaluable in advancing the McLean mission,” said Scott L. Rauch, MD, president and psychiatrist in chief for McLean.
Chandra Ramanathan
In his current role as an executive-in-residence at Mass General Brigham, Ramanathan is working with key investigators to identify and advance technologies towards commercialization. He is also advising start-ups in the therapeutics and cell and gene therapy technology space.
Prior to joining MGB, Ramanathan held various leadership positions over 12 years at Bayer. Most recently, he was the Global Head of Pharma R&D Open Innovation at Bayer, where he led the Open Innovation Centers (OICs) around the world (U.S., Europe, Japan, China, and Singapore). The OICs’ focus is on early access to breakthrough technologies, management of strategic alliances, and public-private partnerships.
“Chandra’s extensive background in global health and technology, combined with his energy and drive to amplify McLean’s impact on mental health care, research, training, and advocacy worldwide is a welcome addition to our already deeply committed and engaged board,” said McLean Board Chair Carol Vallone. “We are deeply excited to have Chandra be part of our team and look forward to working with and learning from him.”
Ramanathan earned an MBA from the Columbia Business School and a PhD in genomics/bioinformatics from University of Georgia. He also holds a MS in medicinal chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) and a BS in pharmacy from Birla Institute of Technology and Science.
He is an adjunct assistant professor at the Tufts School of Medicine and is on the Board of Directors of MassBIO, the Massachusetts Biotech Council. Ramanathan is also a member of the Innovation, Development & Entrepreneurial Advisory Board at the Johns Hopkins University.
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