Besa Selimaj Cote
Besa Cote is an accomplished pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics (PK/TK) scientist with more than a decade of experience across preclinical and clinical drug development, healthcare operations, and pharmacology research. As an Associate Pharmacokineticist II at Labcorp Early Drug Development, she serves as a primary scientific authority on PK/TK studies—designing protocols, conducting non-compartmental analyses, and delivering comprehensive reports aligned with FDA, OECD, and GLP standards. Her work ensures the integrity of kinetic data that drives critical decisions from early-stage research through clinical applications.
Besa’s career foundation includes cancer pharmacology research and hands-on experience in community pharmacy, providing her with a unique perspective on the drug development continuum from bench to bedside. She advanced her expertise during her tenure at Novartis (via Alio Health), where she led a team supporting over 3,000 oncology patients, managing pharmacovigilance, reimbursement processes, and regulatory compliance. Subsequent roles, including her position as a Pharmacokinetic Research Associate at Charles River Laboratories, further strengthened her ability to design and execute complex PK/TK studies under rigorous GxP, FDA, and GLP guidelines.
A dedicated scientist, Besa is passionate about scientific rigor, process optimization, and collaborative client engagement. She combines deep technical knowledge in pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics, and drug development with leadership skills that ensure high-quality data, robust reporting, and seamless cross-functional collaboration. Her commitment to advancing healthcare through precise scientific analysis and her expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes make her a trusted authority in PK/TK and early drug development.
• Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine- M.Sc.
• Michigan State University
• Carleton University- Bachelor's
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of curiosity, resilience, and collaboration. Curiosity drives me to ask the right questions and dig deeper into data, while resilience helps me navigate challenges and adapt to change in a fast-paced industry. Collaboration has been equally critical—working with talented colleagues and clients has taught me that the best solutions often come from diverse perspectives.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Be BOLD never be afraid to meet people, ask questions and be a go getter.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don’t be afraid to take up space—your voice matters. Science thrives on diverse ideas, and your perspective can lead to breakthroughs. Seek mentors, advocate for yourself, and embrace continuous learning. Most importantly, trust your expertise and never underestimate the impact you can make.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges is balancing innovation with regulatory compliance. As drug development accelerates with technologies like AI and personalized medicine, ensuring data integrity and meeting global standards is more complex than ever. At the same time, this challenge creates enormous opportunities—advances in modeling, bioanalytics, and automation are transforming PK/TK studies, enabling faster, more precise insights that can improve patient outcomes worldwide.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are family, curiosity, and continuous learning, which I express through travel, exploring languages, playing board games and chess, swimming, and baking.
Locations
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
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