Dr Richard Pasternak has spent the last 40 years as an academic and biopharmaceutical clinician-scientist. He is a recently retired Clinical Professor at the Weill Cornell Medical College and remains a strategic consultant. He has served on multiple Boards including Cerenis Therapeutics (now ABIONYX), where he also served as CEO 2018-19. He is presently on the Boards of Anthos Therapeutics Magenta Medical Ltd. and Milestone Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Pasternak was previously VP, Clinical Research and Head of Cardiovascular at Merck & Co. and then VP, Head of Global Scientific Affairs and Scientific Leadership (2008-2010). Dr. Pasternak worked on key strategic business development issues, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, and political affairs; and he was also a Merck 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. 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 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.