Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Announces New Appointees to Board of Directors

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) announced today that Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed Pam Randhawa, founder and CEO of Empiriko Corporation and Gary Paul Kearney, M.D., past president of the medical staff, chief of urology, and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery at New England Baptist Hospital, to the MLSC Board of Directors. 

The MLSC’s seven-member Board of Directors, appointed by the governor and co-chaired by Secretaries Jay Ash (Housing and Economic Development) and Kristen Lepore (Administration and Finance), oversees the agency’s operations and programs. 
 
“Pam Randhawa’s expertise in life sciences policy and product development, coupled with Dr. Gary Paul Kearney’s decades of healthcare experience, will prove invaluable to the MLSC Board of Directors,” said Baker. “The Commonwealth is fortunate to have their diverse and deep talent at the table to help guide the Center’s investment decisions as we continue to strengthen our life sciences ecosystem.”
 
Randhawa has 20 years of experience in the healthcare and life sciences industries with expertise ranging from policy, to corporate strategy, product development, analytics and marketing for Fortune 500 companies, startups and government. Prior to founding Empiriko, an integrated precision medicine company focused on early disease detection, prognosis, prediction and ongoing therapeutic monitoring, she co-founded AgroGreen Biofuels, an alternative biofuels technology company.  Previously, Randhawa held several executive positions with major healthcare technology companies, including Phase Forward (now Oracle), McKesson and the Medstat Group (now Thomson Reuters). She also served as an independent consultant to Ohio’s Department of Health, where she led a statewide task force focusing on the health status of Ohioans for the State Health Plan to increase access and quality, reduce healthcare cost, and improve public health in Ohio. Randhawa has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Rajasthan, India, and received a master’s degree from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie-Mellon University.

“It is a huge honor to work with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center,” said Randhawa. “We are fortunate to live in Massachusetts, an area that is known for cutting-edge technologies and breakthroughs in life sciences. I look forward to working with the Center in supporting innovation that makes a difference to people around the world while growing our local economy.”
 
Kearney received his Doctor of Medical degree in 1965 from the University of California, San Francisco. On completion of active duty in the United States Navy during the Vietnam conflict he trained as a urological surgeon at the Harvard Program of Urology, Longwood area. Since 1973 he has been on the staff of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital (past president of the private dtaff), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and New England Baptist Hospital, where he was president of the medical staff, chief of urology, and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery. Kearney currently serves as president of Longwood Urological Associates in Boston, Mass. In 1999, Kearney retired as a captain of the United States Naval Reserve, having served since 1961. He served as treasurer of the Theodore Roosevelt Association and currently serves on the Executive Committee. Kearney is a trustee and past chairman of the Development Committee of Rogerson Communities, a non-profit organization devoted to affordable housing and services for elders. He is also vice chairman and trustee of the U.S.S. Constitution Museum. 
 
“I am honored to be able to serve on the board of MLSC following Dr. Ed Benz,” said Kearney.
 
“It is with pleasure that we welcome Ms. Randhawa and Dr. Kearney as the newest members of our Board of Directors,” said Travis McCready, president and CEO of the MLSC. “The strength and diversity of their combined experience will further the Center’s mission to support the growth and development of our life sciences industry. We rely on the expertise of the Board to ensure the Center is making the best possible use of public resources, and we greatly appreciate both of these individuals’ willingness to lend their expertise to these efforts.”   
 
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is an investment agency that supports life sciences innovation, research, development and commercialization. The MLSC is charged with implementing a $1 billion, state‐funded investment initiative. These investments create jobs and support advances that improve health and well‐being. The MLSC offers a comprehensive set of incentives and collaborative programs targeted to the life sciences ecosystem. The MLSC creates new models for collaboration and partners with organizations, both public and private, around the world to promote innovation in the life sciences.