NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas and its wholly owned subsidiary, the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) today announced that Tina Karunaratne, director of clinical and late-stage project management, will be honored as a 2017 Luminary by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) at the 28^th Woman of the Year event.

Nearly 2,500 leaders across the industry are expected to attend this year's HBA Woman of the Year event, being held at the New York Hilton Midtown. The HBA Luminaries have more than 20 years of professional industry experience, serve as role models in their company, actively mentor and sponsor others and exemplify transformational leadership.

"Tina's dedication to striving for excellence in her career is an inspiration to us all at AIRM," said Eddy Anglade, global therapeutic area head and chief medical officer, AIRM. "Her exemplary leadership, empathy, commitment to others and education represents the passion and the sense of purpose that we all share at Astellas."

With more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Karunaratne began her Astellas career as associate director of clinical operations before assuming her current role in 2015. Outside of Astellas, she is immersed in a full-time doctoral program in law and policy at Northeastern University focusing on Women in Research and Leadership Roles in the Healthcare and Life Science Industries and is a featured speaker at various project and program management events.

About the HBA
The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is a global nonprofit organization, with chapters in the US and Europe, committed to: achieving gender parity in leadership positions; facilitating career and business connections and providing effective practices that enable organizations to realize the full potential of their female talent. The HBA accomplishes its mission through strong business networks, education, research, advocacy, and recognition for individuals and companies. For more information, visit www.HBAnet.org.

About Astellas 
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS, Facebook at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/astellas-pharma.

SOURCE Astellas