Akshay Vaishnaw, MD, PhD

Akshay Vaishnaw is a biopharmaceutical executive with over 25 years of experience, specializing in drug development. He is the President of R&D at Scholar Rock, a Venture Partner at Atlas Venture, and serves on the boards of TB Alliance and Hemab. He was formerly President of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he was pivotal in advancing RNAi therapeutics.

Akshay values creating an inclusive and collaborative corporate culture that drives innovation, as demonstrated by his pride in Alnylams recognition as a top workplace. He publicly acknowledges the importance of mentorship in his career, celebrating the achievements of his own mentors. His board role at the non-profit TB Alliance reflects an interest in global health.

He played an instrumental role in leading the development of RNA interference (RNAi) from a scientific theory into a new class of approved medicines.