Allison Cockrell Zugell

My career path has gone through various areas of science, and I attribute this to a general curiosity and desire to learn new things which were highly encouraged by my mother. In my case, I enjoyed learning about science but did not know what I wanted to "be". Early in my life I loved learning about biology, in college I discovered that I really enjoyed organic chemistry, and during my graduate program for Biochemistry and Biophysics I studied biophysics, bioinorganic chemistry, and cell biology. My postdoctoral work focused on cell and molecular biology, then I joined a large molecule analytical development group at Janssen Pharmaceuticals where I learned about bioanalytical method development and validation. I became interested in the strategy during biopharmaceutical development and learned about chemical, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) teams. In my current position I lead analytical teams to integrate science with CMC strategy. Throughout these different projects I have kept an open mind and said "yes" to some unusual projects (for example, studying the effects of microwaves on thermophilic bacteria cellular structure). My philosophy throughout these years has been that it is fun to learn something new, and that you never truly know if you like something until you try.

One of my mentors/friends said "just try it". I forget which project we were working on, but I really didn't want to do an experiment or a study that was proposed. She said to think about what can happen...either we get an unexpected result and learn something new, or we get the expected result and have more evidence to support the current hypothesis. Regardless of the answer, it will help us better understand the system and provide supportive data for whatever hypothesis we propose moving forward.

Ask questions! We have all been the new person who did not know all of the acronyms or processes, but science is collaborative and we all learn from each other. Most industry professionals are willing to share their perspective, discuss ideas, or connect you with someone who has experience on the topic. Just ask.

In my field I believe there are a lot of opportunities for advancement in data management, utilizing AI within companies and regulatory agencies, and implementing technologies that can help deliver medicines to patients more efficiently.

Some of the most important values in my work and personal life are persistence, compassion, helpfulness, trustworthiness, and wisdom. I believe kindness goes a long way and there are always opportunities to work together and learn from one another.