As years went by, I started to realize that there was a whole world of opportunities for PhDs beyond the bench – careers that were just as intellectually stimulating and still scratched that scientific itch without ever having to pick up a pipette. However, the road to reach these careers was a bit foggier compared to academia. Did I need to do a postdoc? How important are publications? How do I make myself stand out?
Geeta Peverada is a highly motivated, data-driven, and goal-oriented program management professional with over 12 years of experience in cancer research and gene therapy. She is bridging the gap between science and business through her expertise in client management and scientific knowledge. Her analytical, leadership, and management expertise has led to strengthened client partnerships at her current organization, Catalent Pharma Solutions.
Executive Women In Bio (EWIB), a Women In Bio (WIB) initiative, celebrates a milestone year in 2021 with the 100th Boardroom Ready Alumnae appointment to a corporate board in the life science industry. This year alone, more than 40 appointments took place, totaling 112 placements since the program’s inception. Boardroom Ready is an award-winning executive development platform designed to fuel women’s participation on corporate boards.
Women In Bio (WIB), a national organization of professionals committed to promoting the careers, leadership and entrepreneurship of all women in the life sciences, has elected Dr. Azurii Collier of the Greater Chicago area as the 2022 National President-Elect. Collier currently serves as the WIB-National Sponsorship Committee Chair and previously served as WIB-National Sponsorship Committee Co-Chair and as an active member of Women In Bio for six years.
Maya Yovcheva is an R&D scientist with more than ten years of experience in cell biology, protein expression, and product development. She has been a product development scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific for six years, developing novel tools and platforms for protein expression and viral vector production. Her work has led to the launch of a new platform for baculovirus-based protein expression in insect cells. Maya holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and a Master’s degree in Medical Biotechnology.
ctober 2021, A 2020 survey conducted by BIO found that in the 100 biotech companies surveyed, women made up nearly half of total employees, but accounted for only 31% of executives and 23% of CEOs. Women’s representation suffers a steep decline in leadership positions across the life sciences, and the gap only widens for women of color.
When Lynn Johnson Langer and Debra Bowes, started their careers in the life sciences they both knew that gender diversity was rare, and even scarcer as women entrepreneurs. “Networking events I attended were mainly comprised of men. There were no opportunities to talk with women about their experiences and career opportunities,” said Johnson Langer.
This started to change in 2001, thanks to four women from the BioHealth Capital Region who came together to form a networking group for women entrepreneurs in life sciences across the region. From this idea, Women In Bio (WIB) was born – WIB is a professional organization with the mission of promoting the careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship of all women in the life sciences. This local grass roots organization, grew quickly over its first 10 years, blossoming to 250 members across the region.
Dr. Fussell represents a diverse array of clients in various intellectual property matters, including patent and trademark prosecution and litigation. She performs due diligence, freedom-to-operate, validity, and patentability analyses in the chemical and life sciences industries. She has a wide range of experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical arts, including medical devices, biofuels, probiotics, plants, herbicides, fertilizers, seeds, nucleic acids, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, diagnostics, methods of treating cancer, cancer diagnostics, and agents for treating cancer. Dr. Fussell has negotiated and drafted a wide variety of agreements relating to intellectual property interests, including settlement agreements.
Women In Bio is an organization of professionals committed to promoting women’s careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship in the life sciences. Since 2002, this organization has served as a community representing one of the fastest-growing and most influential organizations for women in life sciences. Women In Bio currently boasts 13 chapters throughout North America, led by more than 600 volunteers and a membership base of over 3,000. WIB members belong to biotech and pharma companies, universities and institutes, law and accounting firms, marketing, PR firms, CROs, and CMOs, among other careers. Women in Bio-Capital Region is the local chapter for professionals in the BioHealth Capital Region.
Dr. Kayla Valdes is a Senior Manager at Horizon Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare diseases. Prior to joining Horizon, Dr. Valdes worked at the National Institutes of Health as a Senior Program Manager on the Cure Sickle Cell Initiative. She was also the Associate Director of Scientific Programs at the Drug Information Association (DIA), where she developed DIA’s global content strategy by providing scientific expertise in therapeutic drug development and regulatory policy.
Erin Lawless Miller, Esq. is a lawyer and senior executive with more than fifteen years of experience in operations, sales, contracts, and proposal management. She has spent her career driving operational efficiencies, controlling costs, integrating business units, setting up international locations and subsidiaries, and managing legal matters across highly matrixed organizations. Recently, Erin successfully led several acquisitions.
