The promise of new therapeutic breakthroughs is exciting, but the path of their development can often be complex. It takes scientists that are truly dedicated and willing to put in the problem-solving effort to help deliver the accurate scientific data needed to give every potential therapy a chance at success – and to give patients a chance at a better quality of life. We call it “passion for a purpose”, and it’s what we look for in every employee that joins the BioAgilytix team.

We’d like to introduce to you a few such individuals from our scientific team: Dr. Nora Freudenberger, Associate Principal Investigator and Dr. Nathan Rudemiller, Senior Bioanalytical Scientist (GxP). Together, they explain what led them to choose a career in science and what drives them on a personal level to continually strive for scientific excellence.

What led you to choose a career in science?

  • Freudenberger: “My interest in science goes back to childhood. I used to run ‘experiments’ on an old microscope that I inherited from my grandfather, and I’ve always been curious and explorative about the world. It sparked my interest in studying the human body, the immune system, and viruses in particular. I then had the chance to actually do this during my Ph.D., and feeding that childhood curiosity really came full circle.”
  • Rudemiller: “Put simply, I love to learn, and science feeds that passion. I’ve always been drawn to the challenging environment science provides because it requires me to be creative and to come up with unique solutions. It can be hard, but it also makes success that much more rewarding.”

What brought you to BioAgilytix?

  • Rudemiller: “Here, every day is an opportunity to collaborate with and learn from amazing and passionate scientists. The amount of knowledge I’m able to gain just by working alongside my colleagues every day is incredible; there is a depth of expertise that I’m always able to tap into, and that collaboration makes a real difference when working on complex projects.”
  • Freudenberger: “After spending time in academia on basic virology research, I was at a crossroads of whether I wanted to pursue a group leader position or even a professorship or not. I knew I really wanted to make more of a direct impact on patients’ lives, and I felt that moving to industry could give me a chance to use my abilities to help see a therapy through to market, while still continuing to learn. What I liked about BioAgilytix was that it gave me the most balance between continuing scientific work, such as through assay development, and supporting medicines and targets that could become real treatments for actual patients.”

How does your scientific work make a difference in the world?

  • Freudenberger: “One of our sponsors visited the lab recently and showed us pictures of children with a childhood disease that their drug candidate is hoping to address. It’s extra motivating to see who my work has the power of benefitting. It’s incredible to think that we might be able to really help patients like these children, and it certainly keeps me motivated.”
  • Rudemiller: “I see our collective impact in the by-products of our rewarding collaborations: well-developed assays that assist in driving life-saving pharmaceuticals to market. What could be better than that?”

What keeps you invested in your area of science?

  • Freudenberger: “I really love that the work keeps me challenged; no day is ever the same. I have to stay curious because the projects are constantly changing and requiring new innovations. I would like to keep growing and hopefully become a Principal Investigator with my own team one day.”
  • Rudemiller: “I have the privilege of aligning my passion with my profession, and I can apply what I continually learn for the betterment of patient care. Knowing that my work is making a difference for a patient somewhere keeps me coming back and investing in my scientific skillset and in my team.”

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Want to hear from other BioAgilytix team members? You can find other Q&A sessions from our employees here or see more quotes from our team by searching our #TeamBehindtheScience hashtag on LinkedIn and Twitter.