Re-programming biology to eliminate disease

I'm a passionate data scientist who's been in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector since 2006, with various research publications and citations under my belt  (google scholar link) as well as 1 patent. I kicked off my career 20 years ago (2003) and since then, I've had the chance to play a variety of roles within data science, R&D/healthcare (see my LinkedIn profile for more details). Presently, I am bioinformatics manager at ZS Associates, honing my skills in business development and consulting. Sailing has been a unique and enjoyable way for me to understand and apply my leadership skills (visit my adventure blog).


Highlights:

I find immense joy in being part of the life sciences community, especially when it comes to helping scientists approach their problems with fresh perspectives. Presenting scientific ideas around friends and conferences always keeps me on my toes, and I've had the privilege to be a keynote speaker at several ones that I cherish. As a techie, I get a kick out of hackathons and have quite a collection of tech awards (you can view my list of 9 awards here).


Being an expert reviewer for scientific papers or research grants gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing that I'm making a difference, especially when I see the students or team I've helped achieve great things. I'm a sucker for learning, with a pocketful of 100+ MOOC certificates across an array of domains. I'm a biology and tech geek who, in her leisure time, is working towards solving cancer by harnessing the power of scientific publications and mapping them out as knowledge graphs and corresponding ontologies. I love attending conferences and occasionally pen down my experiences in a blog format.

Roles

Current Role: Director, Translational Medicine and Semantic Data Products, Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMS)

Previous roles: Principal, Technology Consulting at EPAM; Bioinformatics Manager, ZS Associates (2020-2023) , Technology Research Director, Elsevier (2017-2020); Associate Director, Medical Knowledge Informatics at Foundation Medicine (2013-2017); Post-doctoral researcher and Unit Leader at DERI (2011-2013); Graduate Research Assistant at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (2006-2010); Research assistant at ITQB/UNL (2005-2006)

Education

Licenciatura (BS + MS) in Biology (2004), Universidade de Lisboa

PhD in Bioinformatics (2011), Universidade Nova de Lisboa