Maria C. Freire, PhD , has served as a director since April 2012. Dr. Freire is Founder and Principal of The Freire Group, a strategic advisory firm serving life sciences organizations. She currently serves on the boards of Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB), Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL), and Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cell Biology. On February 11, 2026, Dr. Freire was elected to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of Biogen effective following Biogen s 2026 annual meeting of stockholders in June 2026. She is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Freire is a senior life sciences executive with a proven record of leading and governing complex, mission-critical organizations across biotechnology and global health. Dr. Freire brings expertise in drug development, biomedical innovation, technology commercialization, and science policy, with a focus on disciplined strategy, long-term value creation, and patient-centric outcomes. Dr. Freire served as President and Executive Director of the FNIH from 2012 to 2021, where she led a Congressionally authorized organization that builds and manages large-scale public-private partnerships advancing research and clinical development across oncology, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. Earlier, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), she built and led a sustainable drug development organization, spearheading the advancement of pretomanid from preclinical research to clinical trials. Pretomanid is now approved for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Dr. Freire also served as President and as a member of the board of directors of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, stewarding the internationally recognized Lasker Awards and advocating for sustained investment in biomedical research. Earlier in her career, she directed the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institutes of Health and served as a commissioner on the World Health Organization s Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health. Her awards include the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary s Award for Distinguished Service, the Arthur S. Flemming Award, the Bayh-Dole Award, the 2017 Washington Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Award, the 2017 Gold Stevie Award for Woman of the Year, and NonProfit PRO s 2019 Executive of the Year Award. Dr. Freire holds a PhD in Biophysics from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science degree from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru.