Seema Kumar is the Chief Executive Officer of Cure, a healthcare innovation campus in New York City. Cure, an affiliate of Deerfield Management, is a world-class laboratory, engineering, and business facility that brings together industry leaders and innovators who share a mission to foster collaborations spanning disciplines, sectors and geographies to advance health. Cure houses 18 on-campus startup and established companies, which collectively raised more than $1.2 billion between 2021 and February 2024.
Seema is a visionary leader with deep expertise in science, education, diversity, equity, inclusion and corporate social responsibility. Her 30-year career has spanned academic, government, corporate and non-profit environments. She sets and achieves the vision, mission and strategy for scientific programming, educational and learning initiatives. She also drives business growth through innovation, strategic alliances and coalition building.
Before joining Cure in October 2022, Seema served as Global Head of the Office of Innovation, Global Health and Scientific Engagement at Johnson & Johnson. During her nearly 20-year tenure in senior leadership roles at J&J, Seema worked at the intersection of science, media, business and society to expand the company’s leadership as a champion of science and global health authority.
Before joining J&J, Seema was the Chief of Staff to Eric Lander, PhD, and Chief Communications Officer at the Whitehead Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Genome Research. She was vital to enhancing worldwide public awareness and understanding of the Human Genome Project, working with Lander as well as Francis Collins, MD, PhD, Kathy Hudson, PhD, and other leaders.
Prior to Whitehead, Seema worked at the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institutes of Health. She also worked at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, where she launched new initiates to communicate the importance of basic science.
Seema has published more than 200 articles on topics including science, health, policy, politics, and culture. She serves on several boards and advisory committees focused on science education and social impact. Seema is a member of the NYAS Board of Governors.
Seema earned a master of science in science journalism from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of science in physics from Stella Maris College in Madras, India.
Seema spends her personal time connecting with her culture and focusing on her life-long passion to empower women. She founded SEEMA, is the largest multi-dimensional platform focused on connecting and empowering South Asian women, increasing their representation and spotlighting their roles globally.