Waters Corporation has announced that Dr Pearl S Huang, President and CEO of Cygnal Therapeutics and venture partner at Flagship Pioneering, has been appointed as a Director of Waters Corporation, effective January 1, 2021.

We are pleased to welcome Pearl to the Waters Board of Directors,” said Dr Flemming Ornskov, Chairman of the Board, Waters Corporation. “Pearl is a distinguished executive with significant scientific expertise in the discovery of biologics, small molecule and nucleic acid-based therapies, as well as a proven track record in drug discovery and the development of clinical trials. We look forward to benefitting from Pearl’s perspectives and believe she will add even greater value to Waters’ distinguished board of scientists and business leaders.”

“Pearl brings a tremendous blend of scientific expertise, global experience and an entrepreneurial spirit that is vital for Waters as we look to grow our product and services footprint in both pharmaceutical and clinical laboratories around the world,” said Dr Udit Batra, CEO, President, Waters Corporation. “We are very fortunate to have Pearl join us and I look forward to working with her on our journey ahead.”

“Waters holds an essential position as a pioneering innovator whose products and services enable essential innovation in the life, food and materials sciences,” said Dr Huang. “I’m honoured and excited to work with the Board as well as Udit and the leadership team to leverage my experience to help Waters pursue opportunities for growth in the burgeoning pharma and biopharma industries.”

Dr Huang currently serves on the boards of Cygnal Therapeutics and KSQ Therapeutics. She previously held senior roles within the pharmaceutical industry, including Senior Vice President and Global Head of Therapeutic Modalities at Roche and Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Academic Partnerships at GSK. Dr Huang co-founded BeiGene in 2010 and served as its Chief Scientific Officer. Before BeiGene, she led teams in oncology discovery at both Merck and GSK. She has received multiple awards and recognitions throughout her career. In 2020, Dr Huang was named to the PharmaVOICE 100, a list of the most inspiring leaders in the life sciences, and was featured by FiercePharma as one of the Fiercest Women in Life Sciences. She received her undergraduate degree in life sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in molecular biology from Princeton University.