WIB-Seattle Steering Committee Announcement, October 18, 2024

WIB-Seattle is excited to introduce Ankita Roy as the new Vice Chair of Sponsorship!

Ankita is a consultant in life sciences with over 20 years of research experience, specializing in drug discovery and cell therapy, and is skilled in machine learning and data analytics. She has led multiple end-to-end drug discovery projects, from generating disease-specific cellular models using CRISPR gene-editing to uncovering disease mechanisms and identifying targeted therapies through high-throughput screening using human-derived organoids and microphysiological systems. 

Additionally, Ankita has experience in GMP-compliant cell therapy manufacturing and regulatory processes from her tenure at Astellas Pharma. In the future, she aims to leverage her machine-learning skills to accelerate biomedical research and develop more affordable and effective therapies to serve patients better. Ankita's academic journey is equally impressive. She earned her PhD in pharmacology from the Max Planck Institute, where she trained in the lab of Dr. Hartmut Michel (Nobel laureate 1988), focusing on membrane proteins and employing novel cell engineering techniques to produce GPCRs for structural studies. 

Her postdoctoral training in renal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where she made significant contributions to the field of hypertension, further solidified her expertise. As an Acting Instructor at the Kidney Research Institute (UW Nephrology), Ankita worked on drug discovery for polycystic kidney disease and contributed to innovative projects, including Kidney in Space and kidney regenerative medicine. Ankita's professional affiliations and contributions are a testament to her commitment to the field. 

She was a member of Women in Nephrology and served as an Associate Faculty member for F1000 in Nephrology. She leverages her extensive experience to drive strategic initiatives, supporting startups, industry partners, academic labs, and venture firms. Ankita is passionate about mentoring young scientists and enjoys collaborating with like-minded individuals to develop novel research strategies and foster new ideas. Ankita has supported competitive grant applications and secured her first independent funding from the State of Washington. 

As the Sponsorship Vice Chair for WIB, she will work alongside the Sponsorship Chair to identify and secure partnerships with potential sponsors, build meaningful relationships, and ensure sponsor visibility at key events. By fulfilling sponsorship commitments and delivering post-event reports, Ankita aims to support the WIB Seattle chapter and contribute to the growth of the life sciences community in the greater Seattle area. 

Welcome, Ankita!    

Submitted by Namita Hattangady