Dr. Joanne Beck ’83 graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a BA in Chemistry. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Oregon Health and Sciences University in 1989 and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco and at Genentech.
Dr. Beck began her career in biotechnology as a scientist in Genentech’s Process Development organization. In 1997 she joined Amgen where she eventually became the head of the department of Protein Purification. In 2002, Beck and her family moved to Massachusetts where she held roles of increasing responsibility with Abbott’s Global Pharmaceutical Operations and Vascular divisions. In 2012 she joined Shire as Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development. From 2016 to 2019, Beck served as Executive Vice President of Global Pharmaceutical Development and Operations at Celgene, where she oversaw the company’s Product Development, Global Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering and Quality. Following the acquisition of Celgene by Bristol Myers Squibb, she joined Boston Pharmaceuticals as Chief Operating Officer overseeing Program & Portfolio Management, Technical Operations, Quality, Medical Affairs, and Information Technology. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Orchard Therapeutics and Catabasis Pharmaceuticals.
Beck is married to Stuart Beck ’83, a psychiatrist and Director of Adult Inpatient Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. They have two sons and one granddaughter.