Richard C. Pasternak

Dr. Richard C. Pasternak has spent the last 37 years as an academic and biopharmaceutical clinician-scientist. He is currently a Clinical Professor (Dept of Medicine) at the Weill Cornell Medical College, , and is a strategic consultant. He has served on multiple Boards and presently is on the Boards of Cerenis Therapeutics (now ABIONYX Pharma) (Board Chairman; Chair, compensation committee), where he also served as CEO 2018-19, Anthos Therapeutics (Clinical Committee), and Magenta Medical Ltd.(Chair, Compensation Committee).

Dr. Pasternak retired from Merck and Co. in 2010, where he had been Vice President, Clinical Research and Head Cardiovascular Therapeutic Area (2004-2008), and Vice President, Head of Global Scientific Affairs and Scientific Leadership (2008-2010). He served as a key senior executive in a communications role for Merck regarding critical issues related to worldwide scientific affairs. Dr. Pasternak worked on key strategic business development issues, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, and political affairs; and he was also a senior management policy liaison for medical and scientific issues.

Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Pasternak was Director of Preventive Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, having been on the Harvard faculty since 1983. He received his B.A. and M.D. from Yale University and completed his medical and cardiology training at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Pasternak has had a long-standing research interest in vascular disease, lipid disorders and atherosclerosis, as well as in epidemiology, prevention, and patterns of practice and disease management. He was a member of the NIH’s Coordinating Committee of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and of the third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III), has served on many national and international committees, and has published and spoken extensively.