Carla V. Mejia
Carla V. Mejia is an Associate Director at BioAgilytix in Durham, North Carolina, with more than 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and contract research organization (CRO) industry. She leads a team of 22 professionals, including managers, scientists, and analysts, supporting bioanalytical studies under GLP, GMP, and GCP environments. Her expertise spans assay development and optimization, assay validation, and biomarker, immunogenicity, and enzymatic assay analysis to support preclinical and clinical research.
Her career began while she was a student at North Carolina State University, where she completed a summer internship with Grifols. After graduating, she joined the company full-time as a scientist and spent four years there (2008–2012) working primarily in the laboratory. She then transitioned to Agiletics Labs, a contract research organization, where she has worked since 2012. After five years of hands-on laboratory work, she moved into leadership in 2017, beginning by managing a small team of one and steadily growing into her current role overseeing a larger, multi-level organization of scientific professionals.
Originally from Ecuador, Carla immigrated to the United States at the age of 20 without speaking English, building her life and career step by step through persistence and dedication. She balanced learning English, attending college courses, and working full-time, steadily advancing through scientific and leadership roles. Today, her leadership philosophy centers on empowerment, teamwork, and mentorship. She focuses on removing barriers for her managers so they can succeed, while fostering confidence and growth within her team. Guided by a long-term mentor who has supported her for over a decade, she is committed to helping others believe in their potential and achieve what they set out to accomplish.
• Professional Development Certificate from NC State College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
• North Carolina State University - BSc in Biochemistry
• Wake Technical Community College - AS
• Customer Care Award 2005
• Customer Service Leadership Award 2019
• Triangle Women in STEM
• The Bridge International (supporting victims of human trafficking and farm workers in North Carolina)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to working hard and believing in yourself, but also to having people who are cheering for you. I had a great boss for 10 years who was a great mentor and is still my mentor now. I think it's important not to work in a silo, but to work as a team. When I was in college at NC State, I did internships and co-ops, which I think are crucial for students to do before they graduate to make sure that's what they like. I came to the U.S. from Ecuador when I was 20 without speaking English, and I had to slowly work my way up, first learning English, then taking college classes while working full-time. I did an Associate of Science back in Ecuador for engineering, then went to Wake Tech Community College, and transferred to NC State where I pursued biochemistry. NC State prepared me so well - they offered co-ops, internships, helped with resume preparation and mock interviews, which was really important when I was applying for jobs. I did a professional development program with them that taught me everything from how to dress for an interview to how to present myself. I've always liked science since I was a young girl, and to me it's always been important to find ways to save lives and contribute to the health field. Now my main thing is empowering my team of 22 people - they're great, strong, smart scientists, and my job is to empower them, remove roadblocks, and help them believe in themselves.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that the fact that you get no for an answer does not mean that you can stop there. If there is something that you can accomplish, there are other ways. I think what's important is to know who to reach out to and to ask questions. I would say that's one of the best things - there's never a silly question. I encourage my team to ask as many questions as they have to make sure that they are comfortable. Also, always be yourself. Present as how you are, and I think that's the best thing you can do.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are empowering people to believe in themselves and helping them realize how much they can accomplish. I believe in working as a team rather than in a silo, and I think it's crucial to have the trust of my team - knowing they can come to me and feel confident. I want to open a room at the table and open the path for other minorities like me to come and contribute, because I think the more diverse perspectives we have on things, the better we are as a community. It's important to me to find ways to save lives and contribute to the health field. In my personal life, I enjoy traveling to learn about other cultures and countries, and I love hiking and going for walks in the beautiful parks and lakes here in North Carolina. I also support The Bridge International, which helps victims of human trafficking and farm workers in North Carolina - I've been involved with them for at least four years.