What do you do at Rosetta Inpharmatics?
I am the lead scientist for a large collaborative project between Molecular Profiling and one of the Project Teams located at a different MRL research facility. My job is to lead a working group of scientists that designs large expression profiling experiments involving the profiling of Merck compounds, either in in vivo cell culture systems or in vivo animal models. I work closely with the Rosetta Informatics team and the therapeutic area scientists to coordinate the analysis of the huge amount of data that are generated by these projects. The overriding goal is always to benefit the program so that the best compounds can be brought forward for further development.

Why do you love your job?
I enjoy my work because I am foremost a biologist, and it's really fun to work in a setting where we can apply cutting edge genomics technologies to biological problems. It's also very rewarding to apply Rosetta's technologies to Merck's drug discovery programs, because in the end it will result in the more rapid development of new drugs to help people. My work involves coordinating the efforts of large research engines, so I also get to use my people and organizational skills. While my job is frequently quite demanding, it's also very intellectually stimulating, and the payoffs and rewards are high. Finally, I really appreciate the fact that MRL, and Rosetta before the acquisition, have very strong publication records, and I look forward to writing many papers in the coming years.

Why did you choose to join Rosetta Inpharmatics?
I joined Rosetta before the MRL acquisition because of the high quality of science, and the opportunity to work in the Pacific Northwest. I could have pursued a position in academia, but decided that working at Rosetta would allow me to do focus all my efforts on doing cutting edge research that was focussed on using genomic technologies to improve the drug discovery process.

What do you like to do when you're not at Rosetta?
I spend most of my free time with my kids. Also, I love to bake. Pies and cookies are my specialty.

What's so great about living in the Pacific Northwest?
I feel that the Pacific Northwest is the most beautiful part of the United States, and I appreciate the fact that many people here work very hard to preserve our environment. In particular, I love the summers in Seattle. Also, the Puget Sound region has very good academic institutions in the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, as well as being a hub for high technology development, so there's a very strong local scientific community.

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