Eleanor (Elle) Celeste is a science and policy nerd, lawyer, author, mom, and currently a professional communicator.

Elle joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2018 to lead a new function within the Communications department focused on the research pipeline where she expanded company communications to better educate and engage key stakeholders on the corporate strategy, disease areas and the broad and deep pipeline of potentially transformative medicines. She has assembled a team of high-performing and strategic communicators that deliver creative, engaging and educational content to position Vertex as a highly innovative company. In this role, she was highlighted on PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 in 2022.

Prior to Vertex, Elle served in the White House – until the end of the Obama Administration and through the transition to President Trump – most recently as Assistant Director for Biomedical and Forensic Sciences in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. In that role, she focused on the life sciences, precision medicine, biosafety and biosecurity, privacy and security of health information, patient access to data, emerging biotechnology, and forensic science. Elle co-authored the New York Times bestselling book, Yes She Can, with colleagues from the Obama White House about the role of young women in government, with the goal of inspiring the next generation of policy wonks.

Prior to joining the White House, she served in a handful of other roles in government, on political campaigns, and in non-profits. Originally from Ohio, she holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and feminist, gender, and sexuality studies from Wesleyan University, and has a graduate certificate in biohazardous threat agents and emerging infectious disease from Georgetown University. She received her law degree from the Ohio State University.