Sangeeta Bhatia
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC / MAAbout Sangeeta Bhatia
Independent director at Vertex Pharmaceuticals since 2015, age 56. She is the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences & Technology/Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at MIT, an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Director of the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine at MIT. She holds a Sc.B. in biomedical engineering (Brown), an S.M. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (MIT), and an M.D. (Harvard Medical School) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of HST/EECS | Since 2005 | Biomedical engineering and advanced technologies in medical research |
| MIT Koch Institute | Director, Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine | Since 2016 | Leadership in cancer nanomedicine |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | Investigator | Since 2008 | Scientific leadership |
| UC San Diego | Professor of Bioengineering and Medicine | 1998–2005 | Academic appointment prior to MIT |
| Brigham and Women’s Hospital | Member, Department of Medicine | Not disclosed | Clinical/academic affiliation |
| Broad Institute | Member | Not disclosed | Research collaboration |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ropirio Therapeutics (private) | Co-Founder | Since 2023 | Lymphatic medicine focus |
| Amplifyer Bio (private) | Co-Founder | Since 2023 | Oncology diagnostics |
| Matrisome Bio (private) | Co-Founder | Since 2023 | Biotechnology venture |
| Port Therapeutics (private) | Co-Founder | Since 2022 | Thermal bioswitches in oncology |
| Satellite Bio (private) | Co-Founder | Since 2020 | “Satellite organs” living therapeutics |
| Glympse Bio (private) | Co-Founder | 2018–2023 | Acquired by Sunbird Bio in Aug 2023 |
| Other public company boards | — | — | None |
Board Governance
- Committees: Chair, Science & Technology (S&T); Member, Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee (CGNC) .
- Independence: Independent under Nasdaq rules; independent directors meet in executive session at each regular board meeting .
- Attendance: Board met 8 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended 100% of board and applicable committee meetings. Committee meetings held in 2024: Audit 9, CGNC 5, MDCC 6, S&T 5 .
| Body | Role | 2024 Meetings Held | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors | Director | 8 | 100% |
| Science & Technology Committee | Chair | 5 | 100% |
| Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee | Member | 5 | 100% |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $100,000 | Non-employee director cash retainer |
| S&T Committee chair retainer | $25,000 | Chair fee for S&T |
| CGNC membership retainer | $10,000 | Committee membership fee |
| Total cash fees earned (2024) | $135,000 | Fees earned by Bhatia in 2024 |
| All other compensation | $15,000 | Vertex Foundation Matching Gift participation |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant | Grant Date | Instrument | Units | Vesting | Grant-Date Fair Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual non-employee director grant (2024) | May 1, 2024 | RSUs | 1,001 | Vests after 12 months | $400,110 |
| Outstanding at 12/31/2024 | — | RSUs | 1,001 | Unvested outstanding | — |
Directors may elect equity in the form of options (fully vested upon grant), RSUs (12-month vest), or a 50/50 mix; no performance metrics are attached to director equity grants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Compensation committee interlocks | MDCC members disclosed (Carney, Sachs, Upadhyay, McKenzie, Schneider); no insider participation or related Item 404(a) relationships in 2024; Bhatia not on MDCC |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leading academic scientist and medical researcher with deep biomedical engineering expertise relevant to Vertex R&D oversight .
- Education: Sc.B. (Brown), S.M./Ph.D. (MIT, Mechanical Engineering), M.D. (Harvard Medical School) .
- Strategic scientific leadership across advanced technology, translational research, and nanomedicine .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Shares | Ownership % of Outstanding | Outstanding RSUs | Deferred Stock Units | Options Exercisable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sangeeta N. Bhatia | 4,435 | <1% | 1,001 | — | — |
- Director stock ownership guideline: at least 5x annual cash retainer; as of March 17, 2025, all non-employee directors were in compliance .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: company policy prohibits short selling, hedging, derivative transactions, and pledging of Vertex securities by directors and officers .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Chairing the S&T committee and serving on CGNC aligns her scientific rigor with governance oversight; Vertex maintains robust committee charters and independent composition across all committees .
- Independence and engagement: Confirmed independent; 100% attendance across board and committees; independent directors hold executive sessions at each regular meeting—supports oversight quality and investor confidence .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is balanced between fixed cash and elective equity; equity lacks performance hurdles (typical for directors) but ownership guidelines enforce alignment; Bhatia earned $135,000 cash and received 1,001 RSUs ($400,110) in 2024 .
- Potential conflicts: No related-party transactions involving Bhatia disclosed in 2024; audit committee oversees Item 404(a) related person transactions (only CFO’s daughter employment disclosed) . Her co-founder roles are in private companies; no Vertex-related transactions disclosed—monitor for future overlaps as programs evolve .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed—no hedging/pledging, no RPTs, full attendance, compliance with ownership guidelines .