In 2021, President Biden named Desmond-Hellmann to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a recognition that capped a long career in the philanthropic, academic, and pharmaceutical worlds. She’d recently stepped down from the top position at the Gates Foundation, where she helped vaccine researcher Penny Heaton launch the nonprofit Gates Medical Research Institute to fight malaria and other leading causes of death in low-income countries. Since leaving the foundation, she has also taken a seat on Pfizer’s board, where she has served throughout the pandemic.
Sue Desmond-Hellmann reporting:
