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The WIB Greater Boston Chapter
The WIB Greater Boston chapter leverages the strength of the region's biotechnology supercluster to promote leadership and entrepreneurship of women in the life sciences. In partnership with the national organization, WIB Greater Boston aims to foster the community of biotechnology professionals in New England while providing mentorship and professional development opportunities across the career continuum - from those just beginning their careers to industry veterans.
Both innovation and women are driving forces in biotechnology. We provide educational and networking opportunities to industry members in all disciplines including: research, operations, legal, marketing and beyond. In addition, we organize Young Women in BIO (YWIB), various educational programs for middle and high school-aged girls, to promote interest in life science and the breadth of career opportunities in the field.
Fueled by world-leading academic and research institutes, the Boston area life science hub is one of the world's strongest and oldest hotbeds of innovation and entrepreneurship. The birthplace of inventions and discoveries such as the pacemaker, first genetically-engineered mouse, the first human cancer gene and RNAi, the region houses more than 475 biotechnology companies. As a result, New England is home to an unparalleled pool of talented individuals with more than 80,000 employed by the industry.
With strong support from industry associations such as MassBio and the state-funded Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the region continues to attract multinational organizations relocating their R&D headquarters, investors looking for transformative technologies, and an unequalled level of federal research funding, all of which combine to drive a flourishing life science ecosystem.
We are fortunate to live and work in a thriving, intellectually stimulating environment where many professional women have reached the highest levels of leadership and are poised to serve as role models for the next generation. From a geographic perspective, because many companies and organizations are located beyond Boston and Cambridge city limits, our programming mix will include events held in the Route 128/95 and Route 495 corridors as well as in-town locations.
We invite you to join our journey with WIB Greater Boston, to share and extend this success. For more information, register to receive our event notices and/or contact Boston@womeninbio.org.
WIB-Greater Boston Committee Leadership
Women In Bio committees support the professional and personal growth of WIB members and the organization as a whole.
Steering Committee
Chapter Chair: Cindy Crowninshield, RD, LDN, Conference Director, Cambridge Healthtech Institute; Registered Dietitian, Body Therapeutics; Founder, Eat2BeWell & Eat4YourGenes
Chapter Vice Chair: Open
Communications
Chair: Amy Speak, Director, Business Development, Green Room Public Relations
Vice Chair: Open
Funding Committee
Chair: Kristi Sarno, Director, Business Development PFENEX
Vice Chair: Chelsea Gerard, Recruiter, Lab Support-a division of On Assignment
Membership
Chair: Jay DeYoung, Principal, Fish & Richardson P.C.
Chapter Vice Chair: Open
Volunteer: Mi Cai, Presidential Postdoctral Fellow, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc.
Volunteer: Magaret Marcarelli, Northeast Sales Manager, MaxCyte
Volunteer: LeAnn Williams, QC Chemist, Aerotek
Program (Events) Committee
Chair: Open
Vice Chair: Alexandria Papa, Biomedical Systems Analyst, GenoSpace
Volunteer: Jane Kepros, Lab Planner, Perkins+Will
Volunteer: Humaira Merchant, Manager, Commercial Project Management, Biogen Idec
Volunteer: LeAnn Williams, QC Chemist, Aerotek
Young Women In Bio (YWIB)
Chair: Karen Snyder, Office Manager, Sage Therapeutics
Volunteer: Jennifer Griffin, Technology Licensing Associate, MIT Technology Licensing Office
Volunteer: Jane Kepros, Lab Planner, Perkins+Will
Volunteer: Jenny L. Maki, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, Tufts Medical School
Volunteer: Humaira Merchant, Manager, Commercial Project Management, Biogen Idec
Volunteer: Maryanne Visconti Gottfried, President, MVG Consulting Services, Inc.
Volunteer: Glenn Verner, Dx start-up company
Volunteer: LeAnn Williams, QC Chemist, Aerotek
To contact any of the committees listed above, please email Boston@womeninbio.org.
Previous WIB-Greater Boston Events
WIB-Greater Boston Launch Event a Success!
Women In Bio's new Greater Boston chapter got off to a great start with its launch event that quite auspiciously coincided with International Women's day on March 8. Hailing from Maine to Cape Cod, more than 100 women convened to exchanged business cards, experiences, and delightful refreshments at the office of host Fish & Richardson, where they were treated to a spectacular sunset view of the Boston skyline.
A trailblazer in biotech, Eleven Biotherapeutics CEO Abbie Celniker, Ph.D., delivered a keynote address in which she guided attendees through the journey of her career, sharing the various 'inflection points' that were instrumental to her personal and professional growth. She talked about the ways women develop and leverage their networks, which she noted have been invaluable in her career. Abbie also shared her enthusiasm for both her work and science, noting that science has evolved so much that today, she trusts her team to understand the technology better than she does.
Phyllis Dillinger, National President of Women In Bio, provided a snapshot of WIB's achievements over the years, highlighting the notable growth during 2011. She also shared the aspirations for her year as president and excitement for the upcoming BIO Convention in Boston. Phyllis also presented a video montage highlighting WIB's many activities across the nation.
Earlier in the evening, Candida Fratazzi, M.D., Co-Chair of the WIB GB Board, provided a warm welcome and discussed WIB-Great Boston's goal to be a unique women's association with programs that provide value appeal to women in our industry across job functions and career stages. As arguably the biggest biotech hub in the nation, she noted that WIB-Great Boston has much to offer
members and each other - from socializing opportunities to highly professional interactions.
After a break with wine and delectable treats, attendees participated in a robust speed networking session. The numerous introductions will prove to be the beginning of many long-standing business relationships.
The evening was a success by all measures - thank you to the WIB-Great Boston sponsors, Safety Partners, Pharm-Olam International, Duane Morris and Fish & Richardson - for their support in making it happen. Please be on the lookout for updates on our 2012 program plans and WIB's annual highlight social event during BIO Convention. We look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Biogen Idec Hosts Young Women In Bio Event to Spark Middle School Girls' Interest in Science
Biogen Idec graciously opened its doors to 25 curious middle school girls from across Massachusetts last week as it hosted Greater Boston’s first Young Women In Bio (YWIB) event. In conjunction with WIB-Greater Boston, Biogen Idec sponsored and conducted an educational, fun program designed to provide the students with first-hand knowledge of the biotechnology and life sciences industry.
According to the National Science Foundation, eighth grade girls are half as likely to be interested in STEM careers as boys – a dramatic change from second grade, where the numbers are roughly equal. This trend continues through high school, college and into the workplace, as even women with advanced science degrees tend to leave the field at higher rates than their male counterparts.
“As successful women who are passionate about working in the biotechnology industry, we hope to fuel a similar interest and curiosity in the next generation of female scientists and business leaders,” said Lisa Geller, J.D., Program Chair, WIB-Greater Boston. “We hope that our Young Women In Bio program blossoms into an ongoing series providing age-appropriate events for girls from early middle school into high school to continue keep them interested as they go through school.”
Dr. Nadine Cohen, Biogen’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, provided a warm welcome and an overview of the company, biotechnology, and the field’s range of career paths. After introductory remarks, Biogen’s Community Lab Director Tracy Callahan, Ph.D., and Lab Manager Jennifer Greenberg took the visitors on a site tour, engaged them in a hands-on lab experiment (involving M&Ms!), and visited the purification lab to share information about the crucial assays used in biotechnology.
The girls were then divided into small groups for a shadow experience designed to demonstrate a ‘day in the life’ of a Biogen employee. Scientist ‘mentors’ led the visitors to their individual work areas as they explained their roles, shared how they became interested in science, displayed and explained a variety of lab equipment, and answered insightful questions from the inquisitive young ladies. This part of the program was enjoyed as much by the Biogen participants as the attendees.
“The girls brought infectious curiosity and excitement to our facility, while we shared our knowledge and a vision of what it’s like work in life sciences.” said Dr. Callahan. “It was a delightful event that we all look forward to hosting again in the future.”
The students and their parents were equally delighted, and WIB-Greater Boston has already received offers from other companies to host similar events.
Additionally, click here to view a full summary of the past YWIB events at the Biogen Idec facilities at the WIB-RTP and WIB-Greater Boston chapters.
Discussion with the Expert Series a Success!
On November 1, an enthusiastic group of Beantown women enjoyed a thorough examination of the history, impact and current state of orphan drug development, and an opportunity to network with like-minded peers at WIB Greater Boston's first official event - video participation in WIB's "Discussion with the Expert Series."
Carol Greve-Phillips, former vice president of Corporate Development for Genzyme Corporation, had glowing remarks about the event. “The meeting on Tuesday evening was very worthwhile from two perspectives, content and contacts. I enjoyed meeting the women who attended the discussion as we
each represent different areas of the healthcare / biotech field. We each bring different viewpoints to a topic of interest. Also, Marlene Haffner’s comments were useful as a reminder of the importance of orphan designation to patients waiting for therapy as well as the companies who will develop them. Connecting the five WIB chapters electronically was a terrific idea and should also allow the group to attract other interesting speakers.”
Thanks to Fish & Richardson LLC, for hosting us for this interesting and engaging event. WIB Greater Boston is planning numerous exciting events for 2012. Stay tuned for details.
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