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The WIB Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter
Originally the national headquarters for Women In Bio, the "Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter" officially became its own chapter in October 2011. With recent expansion of WIB on a national and international level, the time was right for the region to form its own chapter. Located along the I-270 Corridor in Maryland and also covering DC, Northern Virginia and the greater Baltimore area, this setting is central to what Governor Martin O’Malley called "one of the largest bioscience clusters in the nation, perhaps in the world."
The WIB-Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter community is dedicated to creating opportunities and careers for women in the life science industry and to encouraging women in our region to translate novel discoveries into products. The WIB-Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter symbolizes the significance of promoting the dynamic women in the biotechnology and life sciences industry in this area and globally. Our membership consists of professionals at leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, device and diagnostics companies, non-profits, academic institutions, and support service companies, including law firms, consultants, and financial service firms. To contact the Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter, email DC.Baltimore@womeninbio.org.
WIB 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: Miruna Sasu, Ph.D., USDA-FSIS, Chapter Chair
Chapter Vice-Chair: Christina Harris, Ph.D., USDA-ARS/Virginia Tech
Communications
Chair: Christina Harris, Ph.D., USDA-ARS/Virginia Tech
Vice-Chair: Sarah Pick, Institute for Genome Science
Funding Committee
Chair Colleen Sico, ChemE, MBA, Kymanox
Vice-Chair: Amy Belton, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Membership
Chair: Katie Ziola, Tech USA
Vice-Chair: Julia Berzhanskya, Ph.D., George Mason University
Program (Events) Committee
Chair: Kristan Lansbery, Ph.D., JD, Arnold & Porter, LLP
Vice-Chair: Denise Adah, MBA, CPA, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc
Young Women In Bio (YWIB)
Chair: Jenifer Colvin, Tech Council of Maryland
Vice-Chair: Sheree Wysocki, Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School
Mentors, Advisors, Peers (MAP)
Chair: Sandi Kirsch Heibel, University of Maryland College Park
To contact any of the committees listed above, please email DC.Baltimore@womeninbio.org.
WIB-Washington DC/Baltimore Past Events
YWIB Club Members at Churchill Middle School (MD) Take Home First Prize
Congratulations and thanks to Alex Boukhavolova, an incredible student at Churchill Middle School in Montgomery County, MD, for initiating and recruiting a YWIB club at her school. During the week of March 23, 2012, five members of this club participated as judges in the Science Montgomery Annual Science Fair. YWIB had great representation and was invited back for future events. WIB-DC/Baltimore Chapter is so proud to have such incredible leaders and innovators in our midst. Thank you to Alex, YWIB leadership, and all those who support YWIB!
WIB Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Celebrates the Holidays in Style
More than 200 guests gathered at the Glenview Mansion in Rockville, MD on December 6, 2011 to celebrate the holiday season and the official Women In Bio Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter kickoff. The manor was exquisitely adorned with holiday décor, and was the perfect setting for networking in the holiday spirit. Guests were greeted by many delightful WIB and NIHFCU volunteers at the enchanted mansion’s first floor to find refreshments and live holiday music. In addition, the second floor was opened for private tours of the Mansion’s prestigious art galleries. Guests enjoyed an evening of networking and holiday entertainment while exploring the expansive manor. The event concluded with the presentation of a gift and recognition to Deborah Bowes, WIB President, by the new WIB President Elect, Phyllis Dillinger, and a presentation of the Robbie Melton Scholarship to Ms. Xiaoxu Kang. The scholarship was presented by Juli Ann Callis, President and CEO of NIHFCU and WIB Board Member. The holiday party, which was sponsored by NIHFCU, included professionals from government organizations, industry, academia, law firms and other industry support organizations. WIB would like to thank NIHFCU for their continued sponsorship and support. The 2011 holiday party was a great success and we hope that everyone will join us again next year!
QIAGEN Hosts YWIB Event for 35 Middle School Girls
On November 10, QIAGEN hosted a YWIB event attended by approximately 35 middle school girls in Montgomery County and the Greater Washington area. Held at QIAGEN's Germantown, MD corporate office, QIAGEN scientists enthusiastically talked about their work, provided the girls with a tour of the facility, talked about the "world of microbes," and provided the students with an opportunity to participate in a few hands-on experiments. The event wrapped up with a pizza dinner and QIAGEN-donated gift giveaways. Ridgeview Middle School – designated the "pilot" YWIB middle school – was one of the schools who participated along with their teacher sponsor Ellen Polster. The event provided an exciting opportunity for young women to broaden their horizons and learn more about careers in science.
Dr. Marlene Haffner Shares Her Knowledge with Multiple WIB Chapters
On Nov. 1, Women In Bio members and friends gathered at the the J. Craig Venter Institute in Maryland and other sites in chapter locales to see and hear Dr. Marlene Haffner, former director of the Office of Orphan Products Development at the FDA. Dr Haffner discussed the current trends in Orphan Drug development and the increase in approval of Orphan Drugs through the FDA. She described the importance of treatments for orphan diseases – defined as those with less than 200,000 patients in the U.S. – and the additional exclusivity (7 years) a company can receive for a drug to treat an orphan disease.
Dr. Haffner talked about the emergence of large pharmaceutical companies into the orphan drug market with the likes of Novartis and Pfizer applying for approval of orphan drug products. She also discussed how to get orphan drug classification as well as the financial benefits of receiving orphan drug status, including tax credits and grant support.
In addition, Dr. Haffner encouraged companies to take advantage of the Office of Orphan Products Assistance, which can assist and advise companies on the drug review process and will work with companies and the FDA review board in the review of a new drug application.
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