Talented female leaders are continuing to emerge in the most prominent spaces within life sciences.
Some are running global life science companies while others are founding innovative
start-ups. But all are tackling today’s biggest healthcare challenges head on.
While we’re
pleased to say that this list is not exhaustive, here’s some of the most outstanding
examples of women in science leading the way.
Read about even more exceptional women in our Women in Science series - including other life science female leaders and female scientists.
Health tech
Anne Wojcicki
Anne Wojcicki
is the co-founder (with another woman - Linda Avery) and current CEO of 23andMe.
The genomics and biotechnology company produces DNA testing kits to help people
discover their ancestry and understand how their personal genetics impact their
life. Anne’s company is leading in the genomics space as more and more emphasis
is put on tailoring healthcare solutions to each individual.
Before
co-founding the company, Anne received a BSc in Biology from the University of
California and soon became a successful healthcare analyst at PassPort Analysis
and Andor Capital Management.
Rachel
Haurwitz
Rachel Haurwitz
has been the CEO of Caribou Biosciences since it was established by the
co-discoverer of the CRISPR technology, Jennifer Doudna, in 2011. CRISPR is a
gene editing system that is one of the most technologically advanced medical
breakthroughs of the decade. Rachel is also the co-founder of Intellia Therapeutics,
another company exploring the potential of CRISPR. Intellia is a rapidly
developing company, having partnered with pharma giants Novartis and Regeneron.
Rachel has
a BSc in Biological Science from Harvard and gained her PhD in Molecular and
Cell Biology from the University of California.
Mary Pat
Moyer
Co-founder
and current chief science officer and CEO of INCELL, Mary Pat Moyer is breaking
new ground in the field of personalised medicine. The company develops HCT/P
cells and tissues, sterile fill products and other medical devices which aims
to bring us closer to cell-based, personalised therapies for cancer,
regenerative medicine and various diseases.
Before
co-founding INCELL, Mary gained her PhD in Microbiology from the University of
Texas and later worked there as a professor and Research Division Head of the
Surgery department.
Biotech
Maria
Fardis
Maria Fardis
is CEO of Iovance Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company developing
cutting-edge immunotherapies, mostly CAR-T. The company focuses on the adoptive
T-cell therapy approach and has already had some promising phase II results,
with a good percentage of patients achieving positive response to the treatment
in neck and cervical cancer.
Maria has a
Bsc in Organic Chemistry, a PhD in Organic Chemistry and an MBA from Golden
State University. Before gaining the top spot at Iovance, Mari was the chief
operating officer at Acerta Pharma and the chief of oncology operations and alliances
at Pharmacyclics.
Martine
Rothblatt
Following
her daughter’s diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition that
affects the blood vessels supplying the lungs, Martine Rothblatt founded United
Therapeutics. The biotechnology company specialises in developing products to
help patients with chronic and life-threatening lung conditions, as well as
cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, pediatric cancer and orphan diseases. Their
ultimate purpose is to supply ‘unlimited’ transplantable organs to combat unmet
need for these life saving operations.
Martine had
a career previously as a satellite regulatory attorney, which had also led to
her co-founding companies Sirius Satellite Radio and WorldSpace.
Britt
Melby Jensen
Britt Melby
Jensen is president and CEO of Zealand Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company based
in Denmark. The company focuses on producing specialty medicines for metabolic
and gastrointestinal disease, partnering with other giants like Sanofi and Boehringer
Ingelheim. It has a particular focus on developing medicines for patients with
rare and orphan diseases, a major area of unmet medical need.
Previously,
Britt was the CEO of Danish diagnostics company, Dako. She has a MsC from
Copenhagen Business School and an MBA from Solvay Business School in Brussels.
Medical devices/Diagnostics
Tina Nova
Tina Nova
is current CEO of Molecular Stethoscope, an early-stage diagnostics company. The
company aims to use their technology to detect serious forms of disease at the earliest
possible stage without using invasive diagnostic procedures. mRNA is a genetic
code and largely unexplored bio-marker that has huge potential in treating cardiometabolic
and inflammatory disease.
Tina has a
history of C-suite positions, as she co-founded and was CEO of Genoptix until
it was acquired by Novartis in 2011. She is also the co-founder and previous president
and chief operating officer of Nanogen.
Deborah
Dunsire
Deborah
Dunsire is the CEO of the health diagnostics company, XTuit Pharmaceuticals
since 2017. The company develops pharmaceutical preparations that aid the diagnosis
and treatment of cancer and inflammatory disease.
Before leading
XTuit, Deborah was the CEO of FORUM Pharmaceuticals and also Millennium
Pharmaceuticals, before its acquisition by Takeda in 2008. She is also a board
member of Alexion Pharmaceuticals and Ultragenyx.
Global leadership
Heather
Bresch
Heather
Bresch made headlines as the first women in biopharma to run a Fortune 500
company when she accepted the role of CEO at Mylan in 2012. The company is a
generic and specialty pharma, focusing on giving access to patients worldwide particularly
in areas of unmet medical need.
Heather
began at the company in 1992 as a clerk and within 20 years she was the boss! She
was behind the integration of the acquisitions of Matrix Laboratories and Merck
KGaA, which is Merck’s generics business.
Emma Walmsley
Emma
Walmsley, CEO of GSK, is one of the most celebrated women in science today as
she is the very first to lead a top 10 pharmaceutical company. In 2018, Emma was
top of the list in Fortune’s Magazine’s ‘Most Powerful International Women’ in business.
Before
accepting the top spot in early 2017, Emma was the CEO of GSK Consumer
Healthcare, the joint venture between GSK and Novartis. She also sits on GSK’s
executive board.
If you’re a passionate life science professional
looking to reach the heights of these inspiring women in science, Proclinical
recruits for many leading pharmaceutical companies that are looking to hire the
next female leaders of the life science industry. See our website for current executive opportunities that will kick-start your journey to the
C-Suite.
