CAVU Board of Directors

Nick Leschly

Board Chairman
CEO, bluebird bio

Nick Leschly assumed the role of president and CEO for bluebird bio in September 2010. Formerly a partner of Third Rock Ventures since its founding in 2007, he became the interim president of bluebird bio in March 2010 in conjunction with Third Rock’s investment in the company’s Series B round. Nick played an integral role in the overall formation, development and business strategy of several of Third Rock’s portfolio companies, as well as identifying and evaluating new investments. Nick serves on the board of Edimer Pharmaceuticals and was the former interim chief business officer of Agios Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Third Rock, he worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, leading several early-stage drug development programs and served as the product and alliance leader for VELCADE™. Nick also founded and served as CEO of MedXtend Corporation. He holds a B.S. in molecular biology from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Wharton Business School.

Joseph Faber, Esq.

Board Member
Principal, Faber Daeufer & Rosenberg PC

Joe is a Co-Founder and Principal of Faber Daeufer & Rosenberg, a boutique business law firm for companies, research institutions and investors in the life sciences, with offices in Boston and New York. Joe is a seasoned corporate lawyer, with substantial experience in corporate strategic planning, public and private finance, Mergers and Aquisitions transactions and product-focused biopharmaceutical licensing.

David Rosenbloom, PhD

Board Member
Professor of Public Health, Boston University

Dr. Rosenbloom is the Director of Join Together, a program of the School of Public Health at Boston University, which helps communities fight substance abuse and gun violence. For 8 years, he was Commissioner of Health and Hospitals for the City of Boston, acting as the city's public health officer and CEO of the city's public delivery system, including Boston City Hospital, 22 neighborhood health centers, and the emergency medical system. David was also President of Health Data Institute, a company that pioneered the clinical analysis of medical claims data and developed managed care tools and techniques used throughout the country today.

David Schenkein, MD

Board Member
CEO, Agios Pharmaceuticals

David is CEO of Agios Pharmaceuticals and has been a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist for over 20 years. He was an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine and spent 17 years in academic and clinical medicine as an attending physician in Hematology Oncology at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, where he was an associate professor and held the position of director of the Cancer Center. From 2001- 2006, he worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals where he served as the Senior Vice President of Clinical Research.

Robert Tepper, MD

Board Member
Partner, Third Rock Ventures

Bob is a co-founder of Third Rock Ventures, a biotechnology Venture Capital firm. Prior to Third Rock Bob was President of Research and Development for Millennium Pharmaceuticals. He joined Millennium in August 1994 as director of biology and became vice president, biology in January 1996. From 1990 to 1994, Dr. Tepper served as director of the laboratory of tumor biology at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center where he was the recipient of the Lucille P. Markey Biomedical Scholar award. Dr. Tepper is also a founder and former member of the scientific advisory board of Cell Genesys, Inc. He currently serves as a member of the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research.

Barry Zuckerman, MD

Board Member
Chief of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center

Dr. Zuckerman has devoted his career to improving pediatric health through the training of medical professionals and the development of strategies to transform children's health services. Dr. Zuckerman has helped start many programs that go beyond the scope of conventional medical care, such as the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children, Healthy Steps, Project H.E.A.L.T.H., Witness to Violence, PainFree Pediatrics, and Reach Out and Read. Additionally, Dr. Zuckerman has authored more than 200 scientific publications and edited several books on the impact of biological, psychological, social, and institutional factors on children's health and development.

Deirdre Connor

Non-Voting Board Member
Director of Operations, CAVU

As Director of Operations, Deirdre manages all of CAVU's operations, programming, and staff. Deirdre has worked with CAVU since 2005, and previously held the position of Program Opportunity Director. Deirdre received her Bachelor's in Sociology and Master's in Public Administration degrees from Clark University.