Sheila Gujrathi

Sheila Gujrathi, MD is a biotech entrepreneur and executive, healthcare investor, drug developer, and speaker with over 25 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. She has founded, built, and run numerous biotech companies and led the development and approval of life-changing pharmaceutical drugs for patients with immunology and oncology diseases. In addition to founding her own biotech companies, she currently serves as a chairwoman, board director, strategic advisor and consultant to many start-up companies and investment funds.

She serves as founder and CEO of Prana Therapies, founder and executive chair of Vidya Therapeutics and Lila Biologics, and director of Janux Therapeutics. She previously served as executive chair of Ventyx Biosciences (acquired by Lilly for $1.2B), and chair of Turning Point Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for $4.1B), ADARx Pharmaceuticals, and ImmPACT Bio (acquired by Lyell). Dr. Gujrathi is the co-founder and former CEO of Gossamer Bio. Prior to Gossamer Bio, she served as chief medical officer of Receptos (acquired by Celgene for $7.2B). At Receptos, she led the advancement of the pipeline, including Zeposia®, which is approved for multiple sclerosis and for ulcerative colitis. Previously, she was the immunology therapeutic area head at Bristol-Myers Squibb and held multiple roles in immunology and oncology at Genentech. Earlier in her career, she was a management consultant in McKinsey’s healthcare practice.

Dr. Gujrathi received both her M.D. in the accelerated Honors Program in Medical Education and her B.S. in biomedical engineering with highest distinction from Northwestern University where she was the 2024 commencement speaker. She completed her internal medicine internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and additional fellowship training in allergy and immunology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Stanford University.

Dr. Gujrathi has earned multiple leadership awards, including Corporate Directors Forum Director of the Year; Healthcare Technology Report Top 25 Women Leaders in Biotechnology; Athena Pinnacle Award, and was named among the Fiercest Women in Life Sciences. Dr. Gujrathi is passionate about making the working world safe and inclusive for women and other minority groups. She is co-founder of the Biotech CEO Sisterhood, a group of transformative trailblazing female CEOs, and the South Asian Biopharma Alliance.