The Research Evangelist

Have you ever met someone that just gives you a sense of confidence that anything is possible? I've met many researchers over the years and some of them just fill me with such hope that I feel that given the funding necessary to advance their ideas, a breakthrough would happen. I don't say this naively to suggest that it's just about money. Because I know that money doesn't solve all problems and in research there is no sure bet. But in medical research, often times good ideas stay in the minds of scientists due to lack of sufficient resources to do the experiments that could make huge advancements in understanding disease. And with some researchers you can just tell that they have ideas in their head that given the sufficient support there would be huge return. Researchers like Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch. I have recently come to know Rudolf Jaenisch , a Founding Member of Whitehead Institute at MIT and  National Medal of Science recipient. His lab caught my atten

Three years ago, I had this crazy idea that I would organize an event in Boston that would bring together the Boston biotech community to network in a friendly setting, form new relationships and potential collaborations, while raising money for research in Boston area labs. I found several people who shared my vision and together we launched FRAXA Biotech Games™ . The theme is “ we’re all in this together ," and the beneficiary is FRAXA Research Foundation , which funds Fragile X research around the world. This event supports research in Boston  Bear Lab  at  Picower Institute at MIT, and the Jeannie Lee Lab at Harvard/MGH . FRAXA's mission is to find effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X , the most common inherited cause of autism and learning disabilities. FRAXA collaborates with these Boston research institutions and also biotech companies such as Ovid Therapeutics . On September 12, 2019 over 300 people from the biotech community gathered at Ca

As I reflect on my work with pharmaceutical and biotech companies over the past twenty years, I realize I have seen a lot. My experience spans many aspects of the industry and I've met hundreds of people along the way. The people I've worked with include product (brand) marketing, public relations, market research (competitive analysis), medical education, reimbursement, patient advocacy, and research and development. I also worked with a lot of people in the nonprofit patient advocacy sector who relied on the pharma industry for funding for important education programs. And when I sent to work for one of these nonprofit cancer research organizations, I had the opportunity to meet many academic researchers who had collaborative relationships with industry. All of this led me to become an evangelist for medical research and work in the nonprofit sector and work with scientists in academic labs. So I have a good understanding of the people in the ecosystem of drug development. I

I was in Washington, D.C. recently on Capitol Hill meeting with my representatives in Congress to advocate for federal funding for biomedical research. As I’ve written many times, I believe government agencies like National Institutes of Health (NIH) , National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Department of Defense (DoD) play a critical role in advancing science and making discoveries that impact millions of lives. As a lung cancer survivor, I’ve advocated for cancer research for many years. This time I was on the hill on behalf of the organization I work for,  FRAXA Research Foundation , advocating for Fragile X research on Advocacy Day, an event organized by the National Fragile X Foundation. And I met an advocate that inspired me and reinforced my long-held belief that one person can make a difference. Meet Ellen Skala. Ellen Skala, also referred to as Elle, was on Capitol Hill to advocate that day too. I had spoken with her several times, but I had never met her in person.

I went to a really unique event called Celebrating Innovation! last night at the Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville, MA. The event was produced by The Story Collider and featured personal stories from 5 people who work in the life sciences industry in Boston/Cambridge. I was interested in attending because the show was sponsored by Blueprint Medicines , a Cambridge biotech company I follow that designs and develops precision therapies, including multiple programs for genomically defined cancers (including lung cancer), rare diseases and cancer immunotherapy. What I found unique about the program was that it was an opportunity for five individuals with deep commitment to science to share something personal with the audience, most who are also involved in the scientific community. The audience got a glimpse of each of the storyteller's lives outside the lab, and outside of the business of biotech. There they were, on a stage, under the lights with only a micropho