Biography
Maria Lopez-Bresnahan ’78, MD, MBA, FAAN is an executive in the biopharmaceutical industry developing new drugs for neurological disorders. She is currently VP of Clinical Development for Neuroscience at Alkermes, Inc. She served previously at Vertex Pharmaceuticals as VP of Neurology Clinical Development and at Pfizer Inc. where she was Head of Neuromuscular Clinical Research and Therapeutic Area Head for Neuroscience; additionally, she has held leadership positions at Merck Serono and at inVentiv Health Clinical.
After receiving her BA from Yale, Maria earned an MS from Georgetown University, an MD from New York University School of Medicine, and an MBA from Northeastern University. A board certified neurologist, she completed her neurology training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School, where she served as Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
Maria began her alumni service for Yale as an ASC interviewer. She then served as an AYA At-Large Delegate and on the Board of the Yale Club of Boston (YaleBOSTON) over numerous years, ultimately serving as President of YaleBOSTON. In 2013 she was elected to the AYA Board of Governors (BOG), chairing and participating on numerous committees, including the Shared Interests Groups Committee and the Advisory Committee of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Taskforce. From 2016 to 2018 she served in a leadership role as Executive Officer on the BOG Executive Committee.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, one of Maria’s passions in alumni leadership has been taking a global approach to alumni outreach, engaging Yale alumni around the world. She has been an early collaborator and supporter of the Yale International Alliance, aiming for a strong international delegate representation in the Yale Alumni Association, and promoting YAA events and initiatives that embrace YIA participation and a global perspective.