CHA Raises $600K at Its Annual Art of Healing Award Dinner
CHA Recognizes Dr. Noubar Afeyan for Contributions to Life Sciences
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), an academic community health system serving Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston's metro-north region, honored Dr. Noubar Afeyan, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, with its annual Art of Healing Award on June 16 at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge. Dr. Afeyan was recognized for his role as a pioneer in the field of life sciences. Robin Young, co-host of WBUR's Here & Now emceed the program, and local comedian Jimmy Tingle served as the auctioneer.
Dr. Afeyan is founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a company that conceives, creates, resources, and develops first-in-category bioplatform companies to transform h uman health and sustainability. An entrepreneur and biochemical engineer, Dr. Afeyan holds more than 100 patents and has co-founded and helped build more than 70 life science and technology startups during his over 35-year career. He is the co-founder and chairman of the board of Moderna, the pioneering messenger RNA vaccine company addressing the global COVID-19 pandemic, Omega Therapeutics, Generate Biomedicines, Tessera Therapeutics, ProFound Therapeutics, and Rubius Therapeutics. He is also co-founder and board member of YourBio Health.
The award was presented during CHA's signature fundraising event, which raised $600,000 to support CHA's vision of equity and excellence for everyone, every time. The Art of Healing Award celebrates visionary people who transcend boundaries, embrace humanity and inspire the healing of body and spirit. Past honorees include John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence, former Mass. Governor Michael and Mrs. Kitty Dukakis, and Donald Berwick, MD, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
A passionate advocate of the contributions of immigrants to economic and scientific progress, Dr. Afeyan received the Appeal of Conscience Award in 2020 and the Golden Door Award in 2017 from the International Institute of New England in honor of his outstanding contributions to American society as a U.S citizen of foreign birth.
"A future where we are all liberated from the burden of disease regardless of socio-economic status, race, sexual preference, or gender identity, is a moral imperative," said Dr. Afeyan at the event.
“Dr. Noubar Afeyan's work as the founder of Flagship Pioneering and as co-founder and chairman of the drug and vaccine pioneer Moderna has profoundly improved the health of our communities,” said Assaad Sayah, MD, CEO of Cambridge Health Alliance. “His advocacy for immigrants, amplifying their contributions to economic and scientific progress, parallels CHA's effort to improve population health for our patients, many of whom are immigrants.”