Leadership Team
Kirk Taylor, M.D.
President and CEO
Kirk Taylor, MD is a global pharmaceutical executive with expertise in Phase II – IV drug development, including CNS, oncology and rare disease. As Chief Medical Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and SVP Medical Affairs, he has restructured organizations, created strategic operating plans, and shaped corporate culture. His entrepreneurial acumen assisted in leading biotech start-up companies to successful IPOs and multiple funding rounds. He is people-first focused, leading teams with respect and innovation. In recognition of his positive impact, he was awarded the 2023 PharmaVoice 100 Executives Award.
Dr. Taylor’s contributions across numerous therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, rare disease, acute macular degeneration, migraine, psychiatry, and others, are known across North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. He has designed strategy and executed launch plans via advisory boards, mergers, distributor markets, payer pathways, medical field excellence, and clinical research.
Dr Taylor has completed Executive Leadership training programs at Stanford, INSEAD and Harvard Business Schools. He has a passion for global health equity and is regularly asked to present at industry-sponsored events and symposia.
Dr. Taylor received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and also studied piano at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. He completed his Doctor of Medicine from the State University of New York, Downstate, his neurology residency at Einstein College of Medicine, and a post-doc at UCSF. He taught pain management to neurology residents at Yale VA Hospital for 2 years. Dr. Taylor fulfilled Deloitte University’s Sigma Pi Phi Board Directors Academy Program. With a personal commitment to excellence in corporate governance, he completed a certificate program in corporate governance from Columbia Business School and the Next Generation Board Directors program at UC Berkeley. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, serves on 3 non-profit boards, and advises one healthcare AI company.
Peter Breiling
Chief Financial Officer
Peter Breiling joined the MLSC in April of 2022 and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of accounting and financial planning. Peter also oversees the administration of grants awarded by the Center as well as the financial systems used to process payroll, accounts payable and other functions.
Peter has over 30 years of experience in the private and public sector. Prior to joining the MLSC, Peter was the Deputy Director of Administration and Finance at the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) for nearly seven years. In that role, he was responsible for the Authority’s Accounting, Budget and Risk Management departments. Prior to Massport, Peter held a variety of senior level finance roles at a large hotel company and at a major airline. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Hobart College in Geneva, New York and an MBA from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Peter and his wife are originally from New York, and moved to Massachusetts in 2015 when he accepted the position with Massport. Outside of work, Peter enjoys sailboat racing, skiing and working with non-profits to help those who are facing challenges. Peter is on the Advisory Board for End Hunger New England, a non-profit that produces meals to feed food insecure individuals.
Allyson McLaughlin Huntington
General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer
Allyson McLaughlin Huntington
General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer
Allyson joined MLSC in early 2021, with over 30 years of experience, combining her decades in law with her previous experience in a not-for-profit corporation working with several government agencies on federally funded research and development projects, and several years as a teacher.
Allyson’s career as an attorney began with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Assistant District Attorney in the Domestic Violence Unit, and then as a litigation and trial attorney in the private sector. Prior to joining MLSC, Allyson served as in-house counsel as Chief Legal Officer for a venture capital fund focused on life sciences, and as CLO for several life sciences companies in various stages of development.
Outside of her role as General Counsel, Allyson enjoys time with family, serving as a mentor/board member for non-profit/charity organizations dedicated to the under-served or at-risk demographic, and engaging in various outdoor athletic endeavors.
Jeanne LeClair
Chief Business Officer
Jeanne joined the MLSC in October 2020 and currently serves as the Chief Business Officer. In this role, she develops and executes strategies to enhance life sciences job growth in the Commonwealth by building relationships with key industry stakeholders, workforce training partners, and public agencies.
Prior to joining the MLSC, Jeanne served as the Economic Development Director for the Gateway Hilltown Collaborative, a pilot program unifying community development efforts in six small towns in Western Massachusetts. Jeanne earned her BA from Boston University, and worked at the Cambridge-based political magazine Boston Review. She received her Masters in Public Policy and Masters in Business Administration from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, where she focused her efforts on entrepreneurship, economic justice, and community development. After graduate school, she worked at the Boston Public Market in a variety of roles including business operations. Jeanne originally hails from the small town of Clarksville, Missouri where she grew up on a working farm. She enjoys playing music, collecting vintage NASA memorabilia, and running with her Sheprador.
Ryan H. Mudawar
EVP of Educational Partnerships and Workforce Investments
Ryan H. Mudawar
EVP of Educational Partnerships and Workforce Investments
Ryan Mudawar joined the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) in 2009 and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Educational Partnerships and Workforce Investments. He oversees the development and implementation of the MLSC’s education and workforce investment strategy and leads efforts that foster partnerships and collaboration with public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders. He manages programs and initiatives focused on enhancing the life sciences talent pipeline, most notably the Internship Challenge, which has created over 5,000 internships for college and high school students with more than 950 organizations. He also manages STEM equipment and professional development grants for public schools and capital grants for higher education institutions.
Prior to joining the MLSC, Ryan worked at several non-profit organizations throughout Greater Boston. He is a lifelong Massachusetts resident, receiving his Master’s in International Relations in 2007 from Suffolk University and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2005.
Carla Reimold, Ph.D.
EVP of Scientific Innovation and Strategic Investments
Carla Reimold, Ph.D.
EVP of Scientific Innovation and Strategic Investments
Carla joined the MLSC in April of 2018 and currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Scientific Innovation and Strategic Investments. In her role, she develops and manages the investment strategy for several initiatives with the life sciences industry, including private, public, and nonprofit stakeholders, in order to support the needs of the Commonwealth’s life sciences ecosystem. Prior to joining the MLSC, Carla was the recipient of a NIH F32 NRSA fellowship to support her postdoctoral research at Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program recipient which supported her graduate research.
Most recently, as Principal, Technology Development Fund (TDF) at Boston Children’s Hospital, Carla coordinated the TDF funding cycles and proposal evaluations, served as a project manager for funded technologies, and negotiated agreements with contract research organizations and external collaborators. Carla received her Bachelor of Science in biological and agricultural engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. She earned a PhD in biomedical engineering from the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Carla has authored and co-authored 16 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of tissue engineering and wound repair.
Joseph P. Sullivan
Chief of Strategy and Public Affairs
Joe Sullivan joined the MLSC in 2018. After serving in roles overseeing of the Center’s government relations and communications strategies, Joe stepped into the role of Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Community Relations in 2021. In this position, he has the privilege of serving on President Turner’s leadership team and leading a dynamic group, which aims to raise the profile of the Center and support the life sciences across the Massachusetts ecosystem. In 2023, Joe was named Senior Advisor serving as a principal advisor to President Turner as it relates to the Center’s strategy and the continuation of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative. Prior to joining the Center, Joe served in communications and public affairs roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Before that, he was a legislative aide for former state Sen. Stephen Brewer. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northeastern University.
Staff Team
Kylie Arvidson
Marketing and Communications Manager
Kylie joined the MLSC in December 2021 and currently serves as the Marketing and Communications Manager. In In this role, she supports the Center’s Marketing, Communications, and Community Relations team through content development to promote programs and services externally. Prior to joining the MLSC, Kylie interned at Encoded Therapeutics as a member of their corporate communications team. She was also a marketing intern for Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives and led their website redesign.
Kylie earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Business from the Grenon School of Business at Assumption University. Kylie enjoys traveling around the world, cooking with her family, and caring for her pets.
Henrietta Binortsor
Senior Program Associate, Economic Development and Partnerships
Henrietta Binortsor
Senior Program Associate, Economic Development and Partnerships
Henrietta joined the MLSC in January 2020. She currently serves as a Senior Program Associate, Economic Development & Partnerships. In this role she is responsible for supporting all aspects of the Center’s Economic Development initiatives, this includes stakeholder engagements and relationship management, overseeing program operations, and accounting.
Prior to Joining MLSC, Henrietta worked with Thermo Fisher Scientific as an Administrative Assistant where she provided administrative and operations support to the HR and Internal Communications team. She is a proud member of the US Army Reserve and has successfully juggled both her military and civilian career for the past five years.
Henrietta received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Ghana and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Project Management at the Northeastern University.
Richard Bourgeois
Senior Staff Accountant
Rich joined the MLSC in August 2022 and currently serves as the Senior Staff Accountant for the finance and accounting team. In his role as staff accountant, Rich supports the finance and accounting team by assisting with the monthly A/P and closing process, as well as booking vendor invoices. Aside from that, Rich also lends help to our Senior Grants Analyst by reimbursing grants, as well as any other ad hoc accounting or financial projects that need an extra hand.
Prior to working at the MLSC, Rich had been working in public accounting for just under three years. He worked at the Big 4 under Ernst and Young for two years and then decided to take his skills to a smaller firm, LGA LLP. Rich holds a bachelor’s degree with a double concentration in accounting and finance from Merrimack College.
Jessica A. Briand
Contracts Manager and Paralegal
Jessica Briand joined the MLSC in April, 2023 as Paralegal to the General Counsel. As Paralegal, she will support the Center’s Legal team as well as the Operations and Program teams. Prior to joining the MLSC, Jessica was a Real Estate Paralegal and has over a decade of paralegal and legal operations/administration experience. Jessica also has over a decade of experience in the medical industry, working as a Licensed Nursing Assistant. Jessica has a degree in Business Administration and a degree in Occupational Studies – Advanced Paralegal. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, being out in nature hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and gardening.
Calista Carter
Administrative Coordinator
Calista joined the MLSC in August 2024 and currently serves as its Administrative Coordinator. In this role, she provides administrative support to the Chief of Strategy and Public Affairs and the VP of Economic Development and Partnerships.
Prior to joining the MLSC, Calista was Employment Coordinator for the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey. Before being brought on in a full-time capacity, she served as a Co-Op for the Healey-Driscoll Administration, and also interned under the Baker-Polito Administration. During her time within the Governor’s Office, Calista was able to build and perfect her skills in talent acquisition, interpersonal relations, and administrative operations.
Calista earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Boston. In her free time, Calista enjoys playing music, spending time in nature, and gaming with her friends.
Asmi Chakraborty, Ph.D.
Program Manager, Industry Strategy and Investments
Asmi Chakraborty, Ph.D.
Program Manager, Industry Strategy and Investments
Asmi joined the MLSC in August 2024 as Program Manager on the Industry Strategy and Investments team. In this role, Asmi reports directly to the VP of Industry Strategy and Investments and develops and manages investment programs to drive innovation and commercialization across the Commonwealth’s life sciences sectors, including public, private, and non-profit organizations.
Before the MLSC, Asmi gained experience in biotech startups and venture capital. At Palleon Pharmaceuticals, she worked as a translational scientist, focusing on the pre-clinical and clinical development of first-in-class cancer therapeutics. During her time as a Biotech VC intern at Breakout Ventures, Asmi contributed to deal sourcing, due diligence, and ecosystem building. Her postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School, supported by The PhRMA Foundation fellowship, centered on solid tumor glycobiology and immunology. This research led her to co-found a neuro-glycobiology startup, Precision Glycomics in Neuroinflammation, at the Harvard Innovation Labs.
Asmi holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has authored 13 papers and holds 1 patent in the fields of tumor biology, organoids, immunology, and glycobiology.
Matthew Cote
Public Affairs and Communications Associate
Matt joined the MLSC in June 2024 and currently serves as the Public Affairs and Communications Associate for the Marketing & Communications team. In this role, he writes content for the Center’s online newsroom and provides support with digital content strategy and community relations.
Prior to joining the Center, Matt gained experience in writing and content creation through internships with the Athletics Department of Fitchburg State University, the Fitchburg Art Museum, and Cushing Academy.
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree at Fitchburg State University, where he majored in Communications Media with a minor in Business Administration. Matt enjoys reading, basketball, and spending time with his friends and family.
Vidhartha Deonarain
Senior Manager, Economic Development and Partnerships
Vidhartha Deonarain
Senior Manager, Economic Development and Partnerships
Vidhartha joined the MLSC in November 2022 and currently serves as the Senior Manager, Economic Development and Partnerships. In this role, she develops program solutions for workforce development and industry partnerships to support life sciences job growth in the Commonwealth.
Prior to joining the MLSC, Vidhartha served as Program Director at Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) where she focused on the development, launch, and expansion of adult career training programs. Vidhartha earned her BA in Business Management from the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, South Africa. Vidhartha received her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Suffolk University. Prior to moving to Boston, Vidhartha lived in South Korea and China for over five years where she worked in different roles in the education industry. Vidhartha is from Durban, South Africa and has lived on four continents. Vidhartha enjoys traveling, attending film festivals, cooking, and spending time with her daughter and husband while exploring Massachusetts.
Hawa Fall, PharmD, MBA
Manager, Business Development
Hawa Fall joined MLSC in July 2021 and currently serves as the Manager of Business Development. In this role, Hawa collaborates with the Vice President of Economic Development & Partnerships to advance the MLSC’s business development strategy, targeting companies nationally and internationally that are well-positioned to relocate to or expand within Massachusetts, thereby enhancing life sciences job growth in the state.
Hawa regularly meets with executives and C-suite leaders of life sciences companies to discuss the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem and the resources available through the Commonwealth to support their growth. Additionally, Hawa attends life sciences events and conferences to engage with new leads and stay current with industry trends and innovations.
Hawa is a registered pharmacist in Massachusetts. Prior to joining the MLSC, Hawa worked as a community and clinical pharmacist, collaborating with medical doctors to provide exceptional patient care services. Hawa also co-founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering those in need through workforce development and career advice.
Hawa holds a BS in Chemistry from Worcester State University, a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy, and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Meghan Gerardo
Senior Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations
Meghan joined the MLSC in 2018 and managed the organization’s website and brand refresh in addition to all print and digital marketing and communication efforts. Meghan was promoted to Director of Marketing and Community Relations in the fall of 2021. In this position, she oversees the overall brand of the Center, it’s marketing strategy, and strategic messaging. Meghan also manages the organization’s conferences and sponsorship initiatives.
Prior to joining the Center, Meghan had previous life sciences experiences working in Washington, D.C. as a Communications Manager for the American Pharmacist Association and a Foundation Manager for the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Meghan received her Masters in Marketing and Masters in Health Communications from Purdue University and her Bachelors in Communications from Keene State College.
Nancy T. Goryl
Grants Manager
Nancy Goryl joined the MLSC in January of 2014. In her role as Grants Manager, Nancy’s primary responsibility is collecting and reviewing financial information for compliance with payment requests and grant agreements across various programs, including capital, industry and discretionary grants. She supports the finance team with internal finance operations and assists with the administration of the Tax Incentive program. Her previous position was at IMN, a digital marketing company in Waltham, MA. She has a B.A. from Connecticut College and a Certificate in Accountancy from Bentley University.
Linda Lee
Manager, Education and Workforce Programs
Linda joined the MLSC in 2023 as Manager for the Education and Workforce Team. With a focus on building a robust talent pipeline for life sciences, she manages grant programs including STEM equipment and professional development for public and post-secondary schools, as well as high school apprenticeship and college internship programs.
Prior to joining the MLSC, Linda served as Director of the Biotech Scholars Pathway Program at Framingham State University where she developed the program in partnership with MassBay Community College and the MetroWest Scholars Early Start Program. This program offers biotechnology focused college courses and hands-on training to high school students followed by internships in the industry, which will lead them to great career opportunities while they earn their higher education degrees.
Linda holds a Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology and worked in the Plant Biotechnology field for more than 15 years as the managing director of an ornamental plant cloning company in Brazil. Linda enjoys traveling, watching movies with her family and volunteering at the local senior center.
Danielle McCarthy
Senior Staff Accountant
Danielle originally joined the MLSC back in 2017 as an Office Administrator. After a period of growth and exploration in different operations management roles in biotech/SaaS companies, Danielle returned to the MLSC in March 2024 as a Staff Accountant. In her new role, Danielle is responsible for supporting the grant-processing operations of the Center.
Before returning to MLSC, Danielle worked in operations for Funnel, a marketing data hub, and Apiiro, an application security posture management (ASPM) platform.
Danielle earned a degree in Paralegal studies and has worked in IT, tech support, and operations for over 15 years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography, traveling with her Yorkie Gus, and being a part of the Peloton running community.
Ciara Murphy
Controller
Ciara joined the MLSC in February of 2017. In her role as Controller, Ciara oversees the Center’s accounting and finance function. In addition to finance, accounting and budgeting, Ciara also leads the Center’s Tax Incentive program and serves as a Board Observer to Accelerator Loan portfolio companies. Prior to her work at MLSC, Ciara was an Audit Manager at a public accountancy firm in Limerick, Ireland. Ciara holds a BBS in Accounting and Finance from the University of Limerick and is a licensed member of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Pierre Saget
Operations Associate
Pierre M. Saget joined the MLSC in December of 2021 as the Operations Associate. Pierre will be responsible for keeping the day-to-day operations of the Center running smoothly and provide support as needed for various departments including Finance, Academic and Workforce Programs, and the Office of the CEO.
Pierre brings an impressive and competent background of Compliance and Administration over the past 8 years in Quasi-Governmental work. His most recent work comes from the Massachusetts Port Authority where he served as a Compliance Audit Associate. Before working in this capacity, Pierre served as an Executive Assistant and maintained the highest performance standards within a diverse range of administrative functions. He brings with him a multitude of skills including organization, attention to detail, prioritization, and excellent customer service to name a few.
Cinar Efe Sumer, MSc
Senior Investment Associate
Efe joined the MLSC’s Industry Strategy and Investments team in July 2022. As a Senior Investment Associate, he is responsible for overseeing MLSC’s involvement in joint programs & partnerships and researching new investment priorities. In this role, he leads the analysis of metrics from all industry programs in the Industry Strategy and Investments portfolio (approximately $25M in investments per year) to build an impact measurement strategy and guide future programming.
Efe received his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics, a Master’s degree in Neuroscience, and was a PhD student in Biology at Boston College. He has worked as a Venture Capital Analyst at Merck KGaA as well as a scientist at Boehringer Ingelheim, both in Germany. Since moving to Boston, he has also been heavily involved at Nucleate, helping strengthen the connection between tech transfer and researchers to bring forward innovative discoveries. Most recently, Efe graduated from a certificate program for “Sustainable Investing” from Harvard Business School to measure and manage impact investments.
MLSC Team
Meet the dedicated staff committed to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences through innovative programming and initiatives.
Board of Directors
Meet the Board of Directors responsible for the financial health of the agency and its investment in life sciences economic and workforce development.
Advisory Committees
Meet the Biomanufacturing Advisory Panel, the MassNextGen Executive Coaches, the Data Science Review Panel, and the A.C.T.S. Advisory Panel.
