Race in STEM

In this episode, Steve is joined by Rosemary Lakeru to discuss the pillars of identity within STEM.

Rosemary Lakeru is the Founder and CEO of ACORN IQ, a data-driven clinical research Patient Recruitment & Engagement company committed to changing the face of clinical research; with a mission to bridge the disparity gap, improve clinical trial experiences and drive clinical research across Africa and emerging markets for better health outcomes. 

Prior to ACORN IQ, Rosemary worked directly with life sciences organisations to deliver successful clinical trials that are equitable and Inclusive. She specialises in innovation for trial participant study design and involvement, addressing access to clinical trial barriers, and Enrolling participants from underrepresented populations for medical research through RWD.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

In this episode, were joined by the fabulous Sharmaine Kelly who spoke with us as we recognised this year's Black History Month in the US, discussing the current theme of Black Resistance. 

Sharmaine Kelly is from Durham NC having lived in the area majority of her life. She attended North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University for Psychology then transferred and graduated from Shaw University Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. At home, she lives with her fiancé and two teenage daughters along with a long hair chihuahua, an English Agora Rabbit and Guinea Pig (which feels like a small farm).  In her free time, she enjoys audiobooks, making candles, spending time with her family and travelling, most recently to Costa Rica.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

‘You’re going to go through some hard times, but you’re going come out the other side.’ This episode of My Race in Science delves into the risks of ignoring changing terminology, the importance of mutual respect, and the necessity of representation at every level of the life sciences industry. 

We discussed the pitfalls and the positives experienced by people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community, the resources available, and the power of being yourself, even when the negativity around you starts to take its toll. 

How do we open up positive discussion? How do we empower others in the life sciences? It all starts with a willingness to learn. 

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

‘Standing out in some way is part of the journey of life.’ In this episode of My Race in Science, we explored the infinite value of self-belief, mentoring, and meaningful allyship in the fight against discrimination in the life sciences space. 

From sharing stories to speaking up for others – you don’t need to have experienced first-hand discrimination to be an impactful advocate. 

While diverse teams are starting to populate senior leadership positions, the persistence of the ‘Old Boys Club’ mentality still acts as a barrier to progression for minorities in today’s world, particularly for women of colour. 

How do we break the mould and inspire change, and what does that process look like? 

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

Corryn Gardiner is a Director of her own Quality Assurance Consultancy who works with pharmaceutical companies to help with the set-up and/or ongoing maintenance and responsibilities relating to the Pharmaceutical Quality System and maintaining licences.

After spending over 10 years working in Quality Assurance Corryn believes and strives for quality and compliance to work hand in hand, without one being compromised for the other. Corryn has worked at and supported global pharmaceutical companies and related organisations including Fisher Bioservices part of Thermofisher Scientific, Eisai, Roche and Alexion. In addition to her varied Quality Assurance roles across the lifecycle of a medicinal product, Corryn acts as a Responsible Person and Responsible Person of Import. 

Corryn holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Forensic Science from the Queen Mary University of London.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

Yogesh’s career in pharma spans over 38 years and he has operated his own UK registered limited company for the past 12 years. All his formal education has all been in the United Kingdom and he is proud to be a British Citizen. Yogesh is also proud of his heritage and ancestorial roots in India and he has tried to integrate the best of both cultures. 

 Yogesh developed a passion for the natural sciences as a young teenager at a London middle school when he was inspired by his chemistry and biology teachers. That led him on his journey in science higher education and then a career in the biopharmaceutical industry.

The excellent training Yogesh received at David Begg Associates and the University of Strathclyde, for the qualification on eligibility as a Qualified Person (QP), taught him to understand the many risks associated with manufacturing that could lead to the making of a defective product or defects could arise via poor packaging and/or distribution controls that render a batch or part batch to become unsafe and/or ineffective. 

Yogesh is passionate about ensuring that everyone involved in the manufacturing, quality control and supply chain understand the risks and they follow the correct procedures for ensuring protection and control of the product for its Quality, Safety and Efficacy requirements.  

Yogesh promotes for a very good understanding of Quality Risk Management by all staff involved in drug product manufacture and control. The key message being is there is poor or no chance of a patient knowing a product supplied is defective in any way. And even a small number of defective units can cause harm or even death. 

Yogesh has lived and worked in the USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland and The Netherlands. He has a comprehensive understanding of the USA & EU regulations, quality standards and the expected requirements for the manufacturing, testing and certification of both sterile and non-sterile medicinal products including cell and gene therapy products.

 Qualified as a lead GxP auditor, Yogesh has played key roles, including principal lead for hosting Regulatory Agency Inspections for a number of companies. These inspections were highly successful for the company Yogesh represented.

 To date, Yogesh has conducted ca 25 national and international audits of 3rd party manufacturing organisations, quality control laboratories, API suppliers and a number of GCP inspections at Clinical Investigation sites. 

Yogesh is a Chartered Chemist, a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, a member of the Research Quality Association (MRQA), and H is registered as a “Qualified Person” under the Permanent Provisions of the EU Directives.  

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

Our new Diversity in Life Sciences Series. 

A trained Scientist with a passion for the people, Alex developed a strong interest in healthcare through working in the industry at Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis and used his commercial acumen to transition from research and development into pharmaceutical recruitment consulting. Customer focus and in-depth industry knowledge have allowed Alex to partner effectively with Biotechnology organisations, CROs and pharmaceutical clients.
 
Alex grew up in Barbados, which is known as the ‘Amputation capital’ of the world. This ignited his passion for treatment, disease and science. He later studied at Kings College London and studied pharmacology, he has also researched airway lung inflammation. Alex adores the mission of the pharmaceutical industry, which is to help people and enable people to live longer lives. Alex moved into recruitment to help companies find the best talent to perform these important roles.
 
‘Diversity of thought enables the breakthroughs needed in research and development.’  As recruiters, there is a lot of ownership, as they are the interface within the external market. Alex believes it is vital to wear a diverse lens on the marketplace and not to insert our own biases on the initial recruitment processes, as this can affect the overall process.
 
Alex then discussed the intensity of discrimination, by referencing the research of Dr Winston Morgan during the COVID-19 pandemic and the link between structural racism and disease. Alex believes that in order to overcome discriminatory issues, regulatory changes are required to support diversity and inclusion. Similar to the Equality Act 2020 that mandates organisations of a certain size to publish information relating to the gender pay gap; ‘it pushes a shift in thought.’
 
Alex’s passion for Inclusion and Diversity has led him to leverage his knowledge of the hiring process to implement change aimed at making the job application process fairer and more accessible to all. Alex is a strong diversity and inclusion advocate and influential leader and is driving positive change within the life sciences landscape. 

www.biotalent.com

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!