Elenoe “Crew” Smith ’12 PhD

Smith was born on the island of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. She earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton University and her doctorate in cell biology from Yale University in the laboratory of Diane Krause. During her studies she developed an interest in biomedical research, particularly in genetic diseases that affect people of the African diaspora. In 2012 she moved to Boston, where she began work on sickle cell disease at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital in the lab of Dr. Stuart Orkin. Her work contributed to the first CRISPR-based gene editing therapeutic for the disease. Smith was one of the inaugural 2017 STAT Wunderkinds and was recognized by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association in 2021. In 2022 she was named to Business Insider’s 30 Leaders Under 40 list for individuals changing the healthcare industry, the Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 List, and Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list. At Vertex Pharmaceuticals, she is a director leading the biology for the sickle cell disease small molecule program, manages a team of very talented scientists, and continues to mentor trainees across the organization. She is professionally and personally dedicated to strengthening the pipeline for black students at all levels in STEM. Smith currently lives in the Boston area with her husband, Dr. Dennis Jones, who is a Yale Graduate School alumnus, and their three children.