Mary Tolikas, PhD. Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston). Since 2022, Dr. Mary Tolikas has served as senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the only hospital ranked in the top three nationally by U.S. News & World Report in both adult and pediatric cancer care. She leads the Belfer Office for Dana-Farber Innovations, where she plays a pivotal role in transforming Dana-Farber’s groundbreaking discoveries into real-world impact, and oversees Binney Street Capital, the Institute’s venture fund.
With more than 20 years of experience establishing and scaling technology-based organizations, Dr. Tolikas ensures that discoveries made in Dana-Farber’s laboratories move swiftly and effectively into the clinic—accelerating the pace at which new therapies reach patients worldwide. Her work is central to Dana-Farber’s strategy: enabling innovation, building partnerships, and creating pathways that directly translate research breakthroughs into patient benefit.
Prior to joining Dana-Farber, Dr. Tolikas was CEO of the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva, Switzerland, where she advanced the development and commercialization of neurotechnologies. She also serves on advisory boards and committees for organizations including CancerX, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies in Berlin, and Institut Curie in Paris.