Elizabeth Olek (SPH’02) Named to BUSPH Dean’s Advisory Board.

Elizabeth A. Olek (SPH ’02), a clinical drug development consultant, has been appointed to the Boston University School of Public Health Dean’s Advisory Board.

Olek, D.O., will join board members in serving as ambassadors for BUSPH, reviewing strategic plans developed by the School’s leadership team, and will work with Dean Robert Meenan to identify and involve individuals, foundations and corporations to raise support for School initiatives. As a board member, Olek joins executives from Physicians Interactive, Third Rock Ventures, UnitedHealth Group, CNN, Project HOPE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Olek“The School has a great opportunity for growth, particularly in the area of pharmaceutical liaisons and other specializations that will differentiate it from other schools,” said Olek, former chief medical officer and senior vice president of clinical development for Achillion Pharmaceuticals.

Olek initially attended SPH during a medical research fellowship at the former Boston City Hospital (now Boston University Medical Center) when many of her student colleagues were interested in public health research. At the time, only a small subset expressed an interest in the biotechnology research side of public health, Olek said.

“I did biostatistics and epidemiology in the School, which offer a strong basis for understanding how to set up clinical studies. It was instrumental in setting me up to be able to go into that aspect of the industry,” said Olek, who is also a member of the BUSPH Pharmaceuticals Program External Advisory Board. “SPH allowed me the flexibility to get a degree while I was working during a fellowship. That is something that I would have not been able to do at many other schools.”

Olek’s recent connection to BUSPH’s faculty and curriculum provides her with a unique perspective on how to prepare current students for the challenges of a changing field.

Overall, she said, “the faculty were spectacular and I got great exposure to things that weren’t necessarily my concentration, but prepared me. At BUSPH, there’s more forward thinking in terms of internships and counseling, and helping individuals find a path to an ultimate interest or career. That’s a valuable asset.”

Olek joined Achillion Pharmaceuticals from Novartis, where she served as global brand medical director and principal medical science expert in the Infectious Disease, Transplant and Immunology Group. Prior to joining Novartis, she served as director of clinical research of InterMune Inc. and Genetics Institute/Wyeth Research, where she was responsible for clinical research and advancement of various infectious disease drug candidates.

In addition to her MPH with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics from BUSPH, Olek holds a BS in pharmacy from the University of the Sciences Philadelphia, and a DO from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Founded in 1976, BUSPH now plays an increasingly prominent role in the field of academic public health, earning a national and international reputation for its education programs, research capabilities and service activities. Today the School’s faculty, students and alumni work in communities, agencies, clinics and laboratories to find real-world solutions to public health problems.