Gail Cawkwell

Gail Cawkwell, MD, PhD has served as Aclaris’ Chief Medical Officer since June 2022. Dr. Cawkwell, a pediatric rheumatologist and epidemiologist, has over 20 years of pharmaceutical development and medical affairs experience in large and small companies, and multiple disease areas.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Dr. Cawkwell served as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, Safety & Pharmacovigilance at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from September 2018 to June 2022 and prior to that as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs from February 2018 to September 2018. Prior to Intercept Pharmaceuticals, from 2015 to 2018, Dr. Cawkwell worked for Purdue Pharma L.P. in multiple roles, including as Special Advisor to the Board of Directors, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Medical Affairs. From 2000 to 2014, Dr. Cawkwell served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility at Pfizer Inc., including most recently as Vice President Medicine Team Lead for Pfizer’s tofacitinib franchise. Dr. Cawkwell also served as a Clinical Instructor of Pediatrics at Columbia Presbyterian Health Center from 2002 to 2015 and previously held several other clinical and academic posts.

Dr. Cawkwell received her Doctor of Philosophy in epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati, her Medical Degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and her bachelor’s degree from Duke University.