Her Story
About Audrey
Audrey Sims is a research scientist with about 10 years of experience in the field. She currently serves as a Research Scientist (Biologist) at the FDA as a contractor, where her main expertise involves analyzing drug products and testing chemicals found in drug products and tobacco products for toxicity and mutagenicity. Prior to this, she worked as a scientist at the Arkansas Department of Health for three years, during which she served on the public lab safety committee for about two years. Her first scientist role began in 2016 at NICEPAK, a manufacturing company that produces baby wipes, where she worked as an analytical scientist. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Arkansas State University in 2005. In her current role, she has co-authored two publications regarding work on mutagenicity and general toxicity, with the first in 2023 and the second in 2024, and her team received a special recognition award from the FDA commissioner in 2024. She attributes her success to being ambitious, driven, and dedicated, and she values reliability and professionalism in her work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Audrey
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to me being very ambitious, driven, and dedicated. I'm the type of person who is just gonna keep going until I get what I want. That's what's gotten me here.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to keep going. Don't stop! You're going to get a job with your degree and find yourself in the career that you're meant to be in.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
For women entering my field of science, just never give up. Know that the sky is not the limit. You could literally do anything you want and anything that you put your mind to. Don't give up even when you face adversities, struggles. Keep going and do what you really want to do. If you want to do it, do it. You can do it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include the economy making jobs competitive with many people unemployed or changing careers and everyone competing for the same jobs. Opportunities include AI opening new jobs in science, and the constant need to test products and food for quality, ensuring ongoing demand for scientists.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value reliability - being able to rely on myself and others being able to rely on me. Professionalism is very important. In my personal life, I value being independent. I'm a very independent person and I love being around independent people.
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