Joslin Diabetes Center Announces New Board Members

Three New Members Join Joslin's Board of Trustees

BOSTON – Today, Joslin Diabetes Center announced three new members to its Board of Trustees: Christine Bray of Boston, Ann Lagasse of Newburyport, and Greg Meininger, MD of Needham.

“We are thrilled to welcome these new members to Joslin’s Board of Trustees,” said Roberta Herman, MD, President of Joslin Diabetes Center. “Each member will use their unique perspective and background to help drive Joslin forward and deliver on our mission to prevent, treat and research toward finding a cure for diabetes.”

Christine Bray is a past participant of Joslin’s Emerging Leaders group. She is the Director of Accounting at Harvard Management Company (HMC). HMC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard University charged with managing the university’s endowment, pension assets, working capital, and non-cash gifts. She previously held roles at Audax Group and PwC.

Bray earned her BA in economics and accounting from the College of the Holy Cross and Masters of Liberal Arts, Finance from Harvard Extension School. Her parents, John K. and Anne E. Bray, have been loyal Joslin supporters for more than two decades. Their more recent gift of $100,000 established the Donna M. Younger, MD Endowed Lectureship Series, with a panel focused on diabetes and pregnancy.

Ann Lagasse returns to the board having previously served as board chair and as a board member for almost two decades. During that time, she also served on the Executive Committee, and Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Lagasse brings 25 years of experience in marina and land development. She is the Principal of Ocean Havens LLC, which she founded with her husband in 2007. The real estate company focuses on marina and upland acquisition, development, and management. She has also helped revitalize downtown Newburyport. An effort that garnered her family numerous awards for their historic preservation and beautification work.

She has served in leadership roles on various education, chamber of commerce, and hospital boards. Lagasse graduated from Regis College and received her MBA degree from Northeastern University. Serving on the board is very personal for Lagasse, as she and her husband have two children both of whom have had type 1 diabetes since 1999.

Gary Meininger, MD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Sana Biotechnology. Prior to joining Sana, Meininger served as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development at Vertex Cell and Genetic Therapies (VCGT), where he oversaw all aspects of clinical development for VCGT disease areas, including sickle cell disease, beta-thalassemia, type 1 diabetes, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

Previously, Meininger served a 4-year term as the industry representative to the FDA’s Endocrine and Metabolic Drug Advisory Committee. He has authored more than 60 publications in metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal diseases. 

For more than 16 years, Meininger maintained an endocrine clinical practice at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he taught medical students, residents and fellows and maintained a faculty appointment at Rutgers Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and his fellowship in Endocrinology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Binghamton University and an MD from New York University School of Medicine.

Joslin’s volunteer Board of Trustees works closely with Joslin’s executive staff to ensure the organization is grounded on a steady foundation and has the freedom to pursue breakthrough medical advancements.

About Joslin Diabetes Center

Joslin Diabetes Center is world-renowned for its deep expertise in diabetes treatment and research. Part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, Joslin is dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives. We develop and disseminate innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries throughout the world. Joslin is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and one of only 18 NIH-designated Diabetes Research Centers in the United States.