Amy Pasley

I've been in this field since 1988, so about 38 years now. My degree is in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, which has amazing science programs and great funding for spin-out technologies. I started my career at a seed corn company in Iowa, developing silage inoculants for animals - basically probiotics for cows using different bacterial strains. I just didn't like the lab environment, so I started looking for something else. I interviewed with a startup company, a spin-off from the university, when there were only two people on board. They had a molecular biology position and a chemistry position, and when they asked which one I was interested in, I said probably molecular biology based on my background. But they said they wanted to teach me the chemistry, and I thought, okay, I'd rather learn something new. That's where I started my nucleic acid chemistry and nucleic acid therapeutics career. In my last position before retiring, I ran the global business for legal drug delivery at Croda for two years. The best way to describe it is that for the COVID vaccine, the mRNA was delivered in a small bubble of fat to protect it. My business was the lipid business, working with pharma companies to provide them with the lipids they need to encase their drugs and deliver them. Throughout my career, I moved from being a scientist in manufacturing and hands-on lab work to the business side, taking extra courses in project management, sales training, strategic planning, and pricing to compete with MBA candidates.