Jeanette Fairhurst
Jeanette L. Fairhurst is recognized throughout the community for her extraordinary advocacy and leadership. She serves as the Director of VelocImmune High Throughput Screening Operations and Logistics for the Therapeutic Antibodies Group at Regeneron, where she works with cross-functional teams to coordinate the early screening and selection of novel human antibodies for the many targets Regeneron identifies for potential use as therapies in patients.
Following the death of her daughter Ali to suicide in 2015, Ms. Fairhurst was driven to promote mental health awareness, conversation and available services. After attending a signature Community Conversation event hosted by The Mental Health Association of Westchester, Ms. Fairhurst became a supporter, and later, a member of its Board of Directors and a community education panelist. In 2018, Ms. Fairhurst founded the Resilience is Essential (RISE) Employee Resource Group at Regeneron, establishing a community dedicated to building resilience and destigmatizing talking about mental health challenges. In just three years, RISE has expanded to more than 400 members globally, who participate in monthly group discussions, work together on community service projects and discuss the science of resilience.
A team leader for Regeneron’s annual Day 4 Doing Good, Ms. Fairhurst was named the Regeneron Volunteer of the Year in 2020 and received a national George H. W. Bush Daily Point of Light award for her mental health advocacy and volunteerism. A graduate of Williams College, Ms. Fairhurst has previously held researcher roles at Wyeth and Sloan-Kettering and is an inventor on 20 granted US patents and an author on numerous scientific publications.
Ms. Fairhurst lives in Thornwood with her husband of 34 years, Allen, and is the proud mom of her son Jamie (along with his wife Lunara and daughter Lucy) and Ali, whose legacy continues to shine through her mother’s passion, devotion and leadership.