The Future of Pfizer’s Scientific Strategy: A Q&A with Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, the new Chair of the Pfizer Board’s Science and Technology Committee
June 26, 2025
Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann recently became Chair of the Pfizer Board of Directors’ Science and Technology Committee, one of Pfizer’s five Board committees. This committee is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of Pfizer’s exciting R&D initiatives.
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann joined Investor Insights to discuss her 30+ year medical, scientific, and philanthropic career, her perspectives on Pfizer’s R&D engine, and the role of Pfizer’s Science and Technology committee in advancing the company’s business objectives and creation of shareholder value.
“With the right resources and the right data, we can make a huge difference translating scientific research into effective medicines that can save lives.”
Investor Insights: You joined Pfizer’s Board five years ago, what attracted you to Pfizer and why did you decide to join the Board?
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann: I’ve devoted my career to improving the human condition – from my time at the Gates Foundation, where I led the organization’s vision for a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life, to the 14 years I spent at biotech firm Genentech, where I was at the forefront of the precision medicine revolution.
Pfizer’s mission of making breakthroughs that change patients’ lives directly aligns with my deep passion for improving patient outcomes and driving advancements through innovative solutions, including the use of AI in R&D.
I was excited to join Pfizer’s Board because I believe Pfizer has the potential to find solutions to the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges, while supporting and expanding access to reliable, affordable healthcare around the world, causes I care deeply about.
Investor Insights: You’ve had an incredible career trajectory, spanning medicine, academia, and public health. How do your past experiences inform the perspectives and views you bring to Pfizer’s Board?
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann: I’ve been fortunate to wear a lot of different hats throughout my career. The one constant is that I am always looking for ways academic research and medicine can come together to improve healthcare.
My training as a researcher and oncologist has made me endlessly curious about the world, and my experience in product development at Genentech made me appreciate the steps and processes required to make a real-world impact. And serving as Chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco and CEO of the Gates Foundation reinforced my belief in the importance of public health initiatives.
Bringing all these worlds together has shaped how I approach and think about the ways in which we can improve health and well-being at every stage of life.
“At Pfizer, we’re excited about the future of AI in shaping pharmaceutical R&D. It has the potential to revolutionize drug discovery, streamline clinical trials, and uncover new insights that could both drive innovation and accelerate the development of life-changing treatments while also fueling growth and success for our company and its stakeholders.”
Investor Insights: What role does the Science and Technology Committee play and how does it support the company’s R&D strategy?
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann: The Science and Technology Committee is tasked with really being the most knowledgeable members of the Board in terms of Pfizer’s ongoing R&D and technology initiatives. We meet quarterly to ensure the quality, competitiveness, and innovative nature of the company’s R&D programs; monitor the pipeline as Pfizer works to expand its leadership in key therapeutic areas; and review the company’s approach to strategic partnerships that will advance patient care solutions and maximize the potential for innovative therapies.
“When I look at where we are today, this has never been more clear: AI is revolutionizing healthcare, emerging as the new frontier that promises to enhance patient care, streamline processes, and unlock innovative treatments.”
Investor Insights: What excites you most about the R&D initiatives underway at Pfizer?
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann: Having started my career as an oncologist and then focusing on clinical cancer research, I am excited by the potential of Pfizer’s work to revolutionize cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes. When I first started in oncology, we had few tools, and the tools we did have couldn't differentiate between the cancer cells that we wanted to hit hard and those healthy cells that we wanted to preserve.
Today, we're harnessing all these tools – big data, AI, consumer monitoring, gene sequencing and more – to tackle a variety of diseases in more effective ways.
However, there is still so much opportunity, and there are thousands of clinical researchers at Pfizer working tirelessly to advance innovative cancer therapies. Oncology represents a significant portion of our R&D investment, and we are currently exploring potential cancer-fighting drugs across 55 clinical pipeline programs. With the right resources and the right data, we can make a huge difference translating scientific research into effective medicines that can save lives.
Investor Insights: You have a front row seat to AI innovation given your role on the OpenAI Board, can you share some perspective on the potential for AI to shape R&D innovation at Pfizer moving forward?
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann: I always come back to this quote from Steve Jobs that says, “the biggest innovations of the 21st Century will be at the intersection of biology and technology.” When I look at where we are today, this has never been more clear: AI is revolutionizing healthcare, emerging as the new frontier that promises to enhance patient care, streamline processes, and unlock innovative treatments.
Using data to predict relationships between biological mechanisms and symptoms is where you can find the intersection of Pfizer’s R&D with the tools of AI. At Pfizer, we’re excited about the future of AI in shaping pharmaceutical R&D. It has the potential to revolutionize drug discovery, streamline clinical trials, and uncover new insights that could both drive innovation and accelerate the development of life-changing treatments while also fueling growth and success for our company and its stakeholders.
Forward-looking statements included herein are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. We encourage you to read our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the sections captioned “Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Information and Factors that May Affect Future Results,” for a description of such substantial risks and uncertainties. These reports are available at pfizer.com and the SEC's website.