Who is Dr Freda Lewis-Hall?
Dr Freda Lewis-Hall stands as one of the most influential figures in American healthcare and biopharmaceuticals. This distinguished psychiatrist, researcher, and medical executive has spent over four decades working in the pharmaceutical industry. Currently serving as Managing Director of INTELMED, LLC, she’s best known for her transformative eleven-year tenure at Pfizer, where she championed patient-centred healthcare as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.
Her groundbreaking work extends far beyond the laboratory. Dr Lewis-Hall is also a recognisable voice in public health education, appearing regularly on programmes like Dr Phil and The Doctors, making complex medical information accessible to millions. She’s also co-editor of Psychiatric Illness in Women: Emerging Treatments and Research, cementing her reputation as both a practitioner and thought leader.
In this comprehensive profile, we’ll explore Dr Freda Lewis-Hall’s bio, from her childhood dreams to her current status as a board member for multiple major organisations and her impressive net worth.
Profile Summary
Name: Dr Freda C. Lewis-Hall, MD, DFAPA, MFPM
Birth Year: 1955
Age: 70 years old (as of 2025)
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Husband: Randy Hall
Children: Three (Erin, Justin, and Austin)
Nationality: American
Occupation: Physician-Leader, Managing Director at INTELMED, LLC
Education: Johns Hopkins University (BA), Howard University College of Medicine (MD)
Net Worth: Estimated between $50 million and $408 million (2025)
Early Life and Education
Born in 1955 in Baltimore, Maryland, Freda Lewis-Hall knew her calling from the tender age of six. Her inspiration came from an unlikely source—her uncle, who’d been paralysed by polio as a boy and came to live with her family when she was born. Watching the compassionate care he received from physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, and nurses planted a seed that would grow into an extraordinary career. “Seeing so many ways to combine deep humanity and cutting-edge science set my mind and heart,” she later recalled.
Her father had 15 siblings, and witnessing her uncle’s struggles with polio profoundly shaped her understanding of medicine’s human dimension. Her father would take her to medical museums in Washington, where young Freda was fascinated by specimens preserved in formaldehyde jars—an unusual interest that foreshadowed her future path.
Lewis-Hall attended Annapolis Senior High School before enrolling at Johns Hopkins University in 1973. She graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Natural Sciences, then immediately continued her medical education at Howard University College of Medicine.
During her first year of medical school, her future husband, Randy, required emergency exploratory surgery for a suspicious mass. The diagnosis was cancer. Balancing her demanding coursework with constant worry and hospital visits pushed her to her limits, but she persevered through her exams while Randy began his recovery.
The following summer brought even greater tragedy when her mother unexpectedly died from a stroke. Grief-stricken and emotionally drained, Freda also had to care for her grandmother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Returning to medical school, she was prepared to take a leave of absence, fully aware she might never return.
A chance encounter changed everything. On her way to request leave, she ran into her mentor, Dr Lasalle D. Leffall Jr., a legendary surgeon and professor at Howard. After listening to her situation, he asked a simple but powerful question: Was she ready to give up on a dream she’d held since she was six years old?
That conversation reignited her determination. Freda completed her medical doctorate at Howard University between 1976 and 1980, then undertook her residency training at Howard University Hospital, specialising in psychiatry.
Career
Dr Lewis-Hall began her medical career with psychiatric care. She served as Vice Chairperson and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Howard University College of Medicine, whilst also working as an adviser to the National Institute of Mental Health. During this period, she became well-known for her research on how mental illness affects families and communities, as well as her advocacy work addressing healthcare disparities.
This earned her recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, an honour that acknowledges significant contributions to the field of psychiatry.
In 1998, Dr Lewis-Hall made a career shift into the pharmaceutical industry. Her industry career unfolded across several major companies:
Eli Lilly and Company (1998-2002) – She began her career as a Product Team Leader and later served as Director.
Pharmacia Corporation (2002-2003) – She served as Vice President of Research and Development.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (2003-2008) – As Senior Vice President of US Medical Affairs.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (June 2008-May 2009) – Dr Lewis-Hall held the position of Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Medicines Development.
Pfizer
In 2009, Dr Lewis-Hall joined Pfizer Inc., where she would spend the next eleven years and make perhaps her most significant impact. She held multiple executive positions during her tenure: Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (2009-2019), Chief Patient Officer and Executive Vice President (2019-2020), and Executive Vice President (2020-2020).
At Pfizer, Dr Lewis-Hall made some changes to how the company approached patient engagement. She led initiatives to embed patient voices directly into the development and delivery of medicines and vaccines, ensuring that the people who would ultimately use these products had meaningful input throughout the process.
Current Roles and Board Positions
Since leaving Pfizer in 2020, Dr Lewis-Hall has remained extraordinarily active in healthcare leadership. She currently serves as Managing Director of INTELMED, LLC, a life sciences consulting firm, whilst holding numerous board positions on companies like:
- SpringWorks Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SWTX) – Director and significant shareholder
- Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS) – Board member since 2020
- 1Life Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONEM) – Board member
- Milliken and Company – Board member
- Pyxis Oncology, Inc. – Board member
- Board of Fellows, Harvard Medical School
- Board of Advisors, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
- Ethics Advisory Board, Illumina, Inc.
- Milken Institute’s FasterCures Centre
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
- The Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Board (NEXT AR) of the NIH
- Prostate Cancer Foundation
- Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative
- Dalio Centre for Health Justice at NewYork-Presbyterian
In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Dr Lewis-Hall to the inaugural Board of Governors for the Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), where she served for a full decade.
Personal Life
Dr Freda Lewis-Hall has been married to Randy Hall since they were teenagers—they first met at the age of 17. Their relationship weathered significant challenges early on, including Randy’s cancer diagnosis during Freda’s first year of medical school. Their enduring partnership has spanned over five decades.
The couple has three children together: Erin, Justin, and Austin. Despite her demanding career, Dr Lewis-Hall has managed to balance her professional achievements with family life, often speaking about how her personal experiences have informed her patient-centred approach to medicine.
Awards and Recognition
Dr Lewis-Hall’s contributions have earned extensive recognition:
- “Woman of the Year” – Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (2011)
- “Notable Women in Technology” – Crain’s New York Business
- “50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America” – Black Enterprise magazine
- “Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America” – Black Enterprise magazine
- “Top Influential Women in Corporate America” – Savoy magazine (2012)
- 25 Most Influential African Americans in Healthcare – Black Health Magazine
- Honorary Doctorate of Pharmacy Science – University of Maryland, Baltimore (2016)
- Honorary Fellowship – Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (2017)
- Distinguished Fellow – American Psychiatric Association
Net Worth
Dr Freda Lewis-Hall’s net worth is substantial, though estimates vary considerably depending on the source and valuation methodology.
According to financial data from 2025, her net worth ranges between $50 million and $408 million.
Her net worth estimates vary widely. A conservative estimate places it at approximately $50 million, based on shares held by several healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.
A higher estimate reaches up to $408 million, primarily due to her 8.6 million shares in SpringWorks Therapeutics valued at over $405 million, along with Pfizer shares worth more than $3 million.
A smaller estimate from September 2025 valued her publicly held stock portfolio at roughly $562,100, although that likely reflects only a portion of her total assets. In addition to her investments, she earns around $349,799 annually as an Independent Director of SpringWorks Therapeutics, alongside other income from board positions and consulting work.
