Neuroscientist, pharmaceutical executive Dr. Steven Paul named to Board of Tulane

Neuroscientist and pharmaceutical executive Dr. Steven Paul, president, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors of Voyager Therapeutics, has joined the Board of Tulane, the university’s main governing body.

Tulane has also announced several other board appointments. Rusty Pickering was elected as the next Tulane Alumni Association (TAA) member of the board. Jenny Kottler, previously the TAA member of the board, was elected as a full, new member. Carol Bernick was re-elected to one new two-year term. Richard Yulman was also re-elected to one new term.

Paul earned his bachelor’s, master’s and medical degrees from Tulane. He has worked for more than 35 years in the field of neuroscience, including central nervous system drug discovery and development. He is also a venture partner at Third Rock Ventures.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve on the Board of Tulane University, and I look forward to working with President Fitts, the university administration and my fellow board members."

- Dr. Steven Paul

“Steven Paul is one of our most distinguished graduates and a national leader and innovator in a field in which Tulane researchers continue to gain prominence,” Tulane President Mike Fitts said. “His expertise, coupled with his dedication to Tulane’s mission of improving the human condition make him an extraordinary addition to our board.”

“It is an honor and privilege to serve on the Board of Tulane University, and I look forward to working with President Fitts, the university administration and my fellow board members,” Paul said. “Tulane has played such an important role in both my professional and personal lives, and this appointment will allow me the opportunity to give back to the university and to help Tulane reach even greater heights as an institution of higher learning impacting New Orleans, our country and the world.”

Before Voyager, Paul was the founding director of the Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute and a professor of neuroscience, psychiatry and pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College. 

Paul spent 17 years at Eli Lilly and Company, serving as president of the Lilly Research Laboratories and vice president of Discovery Research and Neuroscience Research.  Paul served as scientific director of the National Institute of Mental Health and has also served as medical director in the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service. 

Paul is a chairman of the board of directors of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.  He is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  Paul is also a highly cited author of over 500 scientific publications and has received numerous national and international awards in neuroscience and psychiatry. 

Paul is married to Tulane alumna, Jann Paul.  In February, the couple made a $10 million gift to Tulane to support the construction of a new School of Science and Engineering building.