Tara Alvarez attained a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University and a Masters and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (UMDNJ). She is a member of Tau Beta Pi (the engineering honor society), Eta Kappa Nu (the Electrical Engineering honor society), and Sigma Xi (the research honor society). When NJIT formed the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Alvarez was hired as one of the founding faculty of the department. In 2005, she won the National Science Foundation CAREER award, given to promising young faculty who are believed to become prominent scientists. She has published over 50 papers and has secured close to $1M in external funding.

Dr. Alvarez’ doctoral work focused on the neuro-control of vergence eye movements— how we perceive objects in depth. She is currently developing an expertise in oculomotor learning with funding from Essilor International, Her goal is to understand how the brain “rewires” itself to best utilize its cortical “real estate.” Once this basic science is understood, she believes better therapeutic regimens can be developed to facilitate a patient’s ability to regain functionality for a better quality of life.

While math and science were always favorite subjects, Dr. Alvarez’s family inspired her to make a difference in people’s lives. She is grateful for her sister, Tennille Lawlor who helps her laugh even when things are not going well and her brother David Carpenter, who has saved many files from computer crashes. Fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Hanson, and Advance Placement Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Merek, fostered a love of learning and science. The #1 influence in her life, husband Pedro Alvarez, consistently encouraged her to pursue her dreams. And, Christian Alvarez, 4, a train enthusiast and expert observer of castles and knights, continues the tradition!

Dr. Alvarez believes “women are attracted to work that is purposeful, enjoy improving the quality of life, and value the challenges of math and science.” Toward the goal of encouraging women in science, she is a mentor for FEMME, a five-week intensive summer program designed to provide 5th though 12th grade girls with interactive opportunities to enhance their mathematics, science and technological academic achievement, develop problem-solving

and critical thinking skills, and promote self-esteem and self-confidence. She is also involved in CHIME, an outreach program that addresses issues faced by under-represented groups in the field of engineering. “The future for women in science,” Dr. Alvarez says,” is very promising!”

Dr. Christine Côté, joined the Corporate Office of Science & Technology in October 2004 as Vice President, Emerging Technologies & New Ventures. In this role, she serves as a scientific leader and internal consultant on a broad range of scientific and technological issues to capture long-term transformational technologies. Currently, she is working across Johnson & Johnson on the use of Health Information and wireless technology to revolutionize the development processes and support new business models to deliver personalized medicine.

Prior to joining J&J, Dr. Côté, served in several pharmaceutical industry positions internationally with ICI/ Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, from 1985 over a 12-year period. These included leadership roles within Clinical Research, Regulatory, Medical Affairs and Marketing. In addition, she has had diverse experiences, serving as a Research Scientist with the Medical Research Council in the UK, as well as directing a large Family Practice group in Canada.

“Women have made progress in the workplace,” she says, “but it is very slow. At J&J and in industry in general, more senior women are now in top positions than ever before. What we need—for both women and men— is an affordable social support system and flexible work environment that allows people at all levels to commit the time and energy needed to succeed and be promoted to senior leadership levels.”

Dr. Beatriz Dardik received her medical degree and fellowship training in Hematology and Physiology from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Her postdoctoral fellowship was at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) in the Department of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis where she studied coagulation and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of thrombosis. She continued these studies as Project Scientist at the CCF. She then joined Ciba Pharmaceuticals where her research was centered in vascular biology and atherosclerosis.

Since 1996, at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Dardik’s research has focused on obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia. She has developed an animal model of obesity and related metabolic disorders. This model has been successfully applied to study the evolution of the disease and the preclinical evaluation of advanced drug candidates. One of her main interests is the behavioral aspects of specific animal models and she has dedicated special efforts to the areas of socialization and enrichment. Dr. Dardik has published in several peer-reviewed journals and is a member of various scientific societies.

Naturally inclined toward the sciences, Dr. Dardik considered a career as an epidemiologist, but ultimately found translational research to be a more fascinating challenge. ”Translational research,” she says, “is the bridge between basic research and clinical medicine, and the development of a colony and an animal model which has helped to build that bridge has been one of the most rewarding, challenging, and enriching experiences of my career.”

“There is great trust and compassion in our Novartis campus.” Dr. Dardik says. “We have many animals in our colony, some of whom have been with us for several years. The methods and techniques used in our work are based on mutual cooperation between them and us.”

Dr. Dardik is also a great supporter of retirement programs for research animals. These programs provide a sanctuary where research animals can live out their lives in comfort.

For Dr. Dardik, leisure time means spending time reading fiction and her favorite authors are Gabriel García Márquez and Carson McCullers. Fellini and the Cohen brothers are her favorite filmmakers and she enjoys French and Italian films.

For more than 15 years, Dr. Li Di has been developing and applying advanced technologies for drug discovery and development in the area of ADME/TOX, physico-chemical and solid state characterization and pre-formulation. She is currently leading the pharmaceutical profiling group at Wyeth Research, Princeton and consults with drug discovery teams throughout the company on optimization of drug-like properties. She is also developing, validating and implementing high throughput assays for drug discovery, such as: solubility, permeability, blood brain barrier, metabolism, plasma and solution stability, CYP450 inhibition, and transporters.

Inspired by her high school chemistry teacher, Dr. Di decided to major in chemistry. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Zhongshan University, Canton, PRC, and a doctorate in Chemistry from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. After post-doctoral work in Biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine, she joined Roche Bioscience (formally Syntex Research) at Palo Alto, CA. Dr. Di joined Wyeth Research at Princeton in 1995.

Author of more than 50 publications in peer reviewed journals, and presenter at over 40 invited lectures at major scientific conferences, Dr.Di’s newest co-authored book—Drug-like Properties: Concepts, Structure, Design and Methods; From ADME to Toxicity Optimization—was published in February 2008. Dr. Di and co-inventor hold a patent for Methods and compositions useful for the prediction of blood-brain barrier permeation. The Research & Development Council of New Jersey awarded them the 2007 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award in the category of Enabling Technologies for this laboratory assay to help speed the development of new and effective treatments for central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.

As for the future of women in science, Dr. Di believes science teachers should be as engaging as art teachers. “We need to engage children when they are very young,” she says, “to develop their confidence in their ability to succeed in the sciences. The younger…the better!”

Dr. Tina Garyantes joined Lead Identification Technologies at Sanofi-Aventis in 2000. Inspired by her grandmother, a math major, her mother, a physicist, and her father, a chemist, Dr. Garyantes seemed destined to pursue a career as a scientist.

Sanofi-Aventis was her first position in High Throughput Screening and she and her team have been leaders in numerous assay and screening techniques such as the first published image-based screen, ion channels, lipid enzymes, and routine implementation of 1536 well screening. Before joining Sanofi-Aventis, Dr. Garyantes’s work was in the chemistry division of Merck & Co., were she gained recognition for her invention of the virtual well plates which married microfluidics, material sciences, biology and microtiter plates. She was awarded the 2002 PerkinElmer Life Sciences International Award for Innovation in HTS, and the system was licensed to Becton Dickenson.

One the secrets of her success has been her broad scientific base, having worked in biotech and diagnostics before pharmaceuticals, and having experience in engineering, nanotechnology, molecular biology, cell biology, and biophysics. She has worked in chemotaxis, neuronal signaling, cryopreservation of blood, metal plating, tertiary oil recovery and even designed and delivered an instrument to the Mayo Clinic for fine structure analysis of DNA.

Since she was at Caltech in 1983, “acceptance of women scientists has improved,” Dr. Garyantes says. “In the field of biomedical research, women are quite well accepted today but in biophysics and bioengineering, there is still a way to go.” One key, she believes, to unlocking the door for women in science is to enhance educational opportunities for science and math teachers¬—so that they can share their excitement with children. She currently shares her excitement and knowledge each year as “Teacher-For-A-Day” for Woodland Elementary School’s Science Day.

An artist as well as a scientist, Dr. Garyantes enjoys the ancient art of batik, creating stained glass, and quilting. She and her husband, Michael, an electrical engineer, are t he parents of Susan 15, David 12, and Molly, 9, and enjoy renovating houses in their “spare time!”

A teacher, author, lecturer, and innovator, Nancy Lewen, who will celebrate her 20th anniversary at Bristol-Myers Squibb in June, 2008, focuses on all aspects of metals analysis, including training and supervision of laboratory personnel in BMS’ atomic spectroscopy lab, testing for metals that may be found in processing equipment, that may be used in the synthesis of drugs, and in accordance with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) requirements.

A graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Chemistry, Ms. Lewen’s career encompasses many different industries. Prior to joining BMS, she worked as both a Senior Chemist and a Project Chemist for Motorola, Inc., and she served as an Environmental Health Specialist for the State of Arizona. A member of the American Chemical Society and the USP Expert Committee on general chapters for the term 2005-2010, she also serves as Chair of the USP heavy metals advisory panel.

Reflecting on the challenges women have had to face in pursuing careers in science, Ms. Lewen noted: “Joining BMS was a refreshing change for me. BMS has always been highly supportive of women. No one ever told me, ‘you can’t do that.’ I was encouraged to try new things and expand my expertise. But… more than 20 years ago, many women did not have that experience. They were more apt to encounter difficulties when they showed an interest in science.”

Today, Ms. Lewen believes being accepted and respected in the scientific world has less to do with the work environment and more to do with the educational environment in grades K-12. “The U.S. educational system must foster the idea that capability counts and girls can do it!” she says.

Ms. Lewen and her husband Geoff, a physicist, are the proud parents of Spencer, 15 and Molly, 12. The Lewen family also includes two bunnies, Marble and Cuddles, and Violet, a supremely spoiled basset hound.

Dr. Kristie Reilly has been the Dean of the Nathan Weiss Graduate College at Kean University since January 2006. In addition to balancing her research work with a busy teaching schedule that includes instructing doctoral students in gross anatomy and neuroscience in a joint program between Kean and UMDNJ, Dr. Reilly is actively involved in the cause of educating inner-city children.

A Kean alum who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1991, Dr. Reilly attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and earned a Ph.D. in the neurosciences in 1995. She also studied at Yale University as part of her research dissertation with UMDNJ. In 2006, Dr. Reilly, Founding Advisor of Kean University’s Alpha Episilon Lambda chapter, was designated as the first Alpha Pi Chapter Honorary Member.

Under her leadership, Kean’s graduate college has seen unprecedented growth and developed landmark initiatives, such as the New Jersey Center for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (NJCSTME) and the Master of Business Administration in Global Management. Kean University established NJCSTME in response to the critical need for highly qualified science and mathematics teachers and for highly trained research scientists. Committed to a state-wide recruiting effort with special attention to students from urban and low socio-economic regions of New Jersey, The Center will graduate its first class in 2008. NJCSTME provides a minimum of two-years full tuition scholarships to freshmen and sophomore students and is building a 100,000 square foot building to house the program.

Dr. Reilly considered careers in business or law but science teacher Martin Harris inspired her to pursue science, and she ultimately decided upon molecular neurobiology. “Both in the lab and in administration, New Jersey is currently a great place for women,“ she says. “In New Jersey, we are looking for good science and good scientists. And, to fulfill those needs, we need better science teachers to motivate women to go into the fields. New Jersey is a Mecca for science and we need to educate our young people in order to maintain our reputation and provide a skilled workforce.”

Dr. Reilly and her husband, James Reilly, an editor for the NBA, are the proud parents of Liam, 9, a scientist and soccer player and Declan, 7, an artist and soccer player.

Inspired by her Dad, “who bought me my first microscope” and her Mom, “who convinced me that I could do anything I chose,” Dr. Kathleen Scotto was committed to a career in science from the time she was 6! She considered pre-med, but was turned on to basic research by her husband, Anthony Scotto, Ph.D., a basic researcher at Cornell University Medical College for 20 years, and, currently, a scientist at Transave, Inc. She is also highly appreciative of a great mentor, Dr. Joseph R. Bertino, University Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, and Interim Director of both The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey at RWJMS.

In addition to her positions at the Institute for Cancer Research and Fox Chase Cancer Center, Dr. Anna Marie Skalka also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Fascinated since she was child by living things and how they work, Dr. Skalka’s main research interest is in molecular aspects of the replication of retroviruses. She is internationally recognized for her contributions to our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms by which such viruses (including the AIDS virus) replicate and insert their genetic material into the host genome, has published numerous original scientific papers and scholarly reviews in these areas, and is co-author of the textbook,

Principles of Virology.

Dr. Skalka has also been deeply involved in state, national, and international advisory groups concerned with the broader, societal implications of scientific research, including the NJ Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR)—which she currently chairs— and the U.S. Defense Science Board. The NJCCR was established by the Cancer Research Act of 1983. This Act provides $1 million annually to promote original research into the causes, prevention, treatment and palliation of cancer, to support promising new scientists and senior investigators seeking new cancer research directions, and to serve as a resource to providers and consumers of cancer services. “Thus far, Dr. Skalka says, “this program has brought to New Jersey a 10 to 1 return in Federal dollars!”

In recognition of her many accomplishments, Dr. Skalka has been honored by election to the New York Academy of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology. She received her Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from New York University Medical School in 1964. “Things are a bit easier for women today,” she says, “but a significant glass ceiling still exists. We need to support one another and help each other up the ladder.” To women facing career choices Dr. Skalka advises, “Find your own context. Do the thing you love the most because that’s what you’ll be best at.”

Dr. Skalka and her husband Rudolph—a financial expert (and great motivator who encouraged her to go to graduate school and to pursue her career thereafter)—live in Princeton. They have two grown children: Jeanne, who is a botanist with the US Forest Service currently working in Oregon, and Chris who is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont. In their free time, the Skalka’s enjoy biking, canoeing, and skiing.

Dr. Ann E. Weber obtained her B.S. degree in chemistry summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. She earned her Ph.D. degree from Harvard University, studying synthetic organic chemistry in the laboratories of Professor David A. Evans, and joined Merck Research Laboratories as a Senior Research Chemist in 1987.

Dr. Weber’s research interests include the design and synthesis of ligands for G-protein coupled receptors, ion channels and enzymes. She led the chemistry team that discovered the DPP-4 inhibitor JANUVIA™ (sitagliptin phosphate), which was approved by the FDA in 2006 for Type 2 diabetes. Currently, efforts in her group target new treatments for patients with diabetes, obesity, pain, atherosclerosis, and urinary incontinence.

Dr. Weber has authored more than 55 publications and is co-inventor on 23 US patents with 12 additional applications pending. In 2002 she was named a “Woman at the Forefront of Chemistry” by the American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee. She received the 2007 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award from the Research and Development Council of New Jersey and a Directors’ Award from Merck for her contributions to the discovery of JANUVIA™. She was part of a team that received the 2007 Prix Galien USA for JANUVIA™.

In reflecting on the role of women in science, Dr. Weber says, “Things have changed, but not enough.” Toward the goal of helping women rise to upper level positions, Dr. Weber is actively involved in diversity efforts and in speaking to young women about pursuing careers in the pharmaceutical industry. “At Merck,” she says, “women are visible in high level roles. Women fill the positions of Head of Basic Research and Worldwide Head of Diabetes and Obesity Research; however, women are still disproportionatley represented at these levels.”

Grace Ju, Ph.D. is Research Director in the Inflammation Department at Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. in Nutley, N.J., where she is involved in the management and scientific direction of the department. In addition, she leads several research projects aimed at identifying new compounds for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory diseases. She is currently a member of the Center Management Team that oversees the Roche Nutley research site.

Dr. Ju was awarded her B.A. summa cum laude from UC Berkeley as the valedictorian of the graduating class of 1974 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in microbiology and immunology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She then continued her training as a postdoctoral fellow at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology under the direction of Dr. Anna Skalka.

After her postdoctoral training, Dr. Ju joined Preclinical Research and Development at Hoffmann-La Roche, where she conducted research in molecular biology and immunology. Dr. Ju has held positions of increasing responsibility within Roche Research, and directed preclinical research groups in the departments of Molecular Biology, Immunology, Oncology, and Inflammation. A novel compound identified by her research is in clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors.

The author of more than 45 publications, Dr. Ju has been an invited speaker at many scientific conferences including the Cold Spring Harbor Symposium. She has been an adjunct assistant professor at UMDNJ. Dr. Ju is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Thoracic Society, and the New Jersey Cancer Commission. She has received several awards for her scientific and managerial accomplishments, including the Roche Research and Development Prize and the TWIN (Tribute to Women and Industry) Award from the YWCA of Bergen County. She is honored to be recognized as an Outstanding Woman Scientist by NJABR.

At the age of 13, Dr. Ju read an article in Reader’s Digest about a little girl with leukemia. From that moment on, she knew she wanted to pursue biomedical research for improving the lives of others. ”Fundamental to women’s success in science,” she says, “are the support of teachers and family, the presence of role models, and the encouragement of mentors. During my postdoc, it was empowering to have Ann Skalka as a mentor; she remains a role model for me.”

Dr. Ju suggests that an effective way to provide role models is for women in science to make visibility to children a priority. “One of my most enjoyable experiences was volunteering at my son’s school science fair and giving kids the opportunity to use a pipette and precipitate DNA!” she says.

An avid reader of mystery novels— favorite authors include P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—Dr. Ju is a resident of Upper Montclair, NJ. She is proud and appreciative of the support of her husband Bill, a computer graphic artist, and 15-year old son Sam, a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a dedicated Yankees fan.

Dr. Margaret Zaleska has been in her current position at Wyeth Research since 1993, continually focusing her research on the development of novel therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative disorders. Her responsibilities include development and implementation of pre-clinical research strategies, in vivo modeling of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer Disease and directing drug discovery efforts for the treatment of stroke.

Dr. Zaleska received her M.S. degree in biochemistry from University of Warsaw and a Ph.D. in neurochemistry from the Polish Academy of Sciences. Following postdoctoral training at the SUNY and Oklahoma Medical Foundation, she held a research faculty appointment at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, conducting basic research on regulation of neuronal glutamate homeostasis, synaptic transport of neurotransmitters and mechanisms of free radical injury to neuronal membranes.

Growing up in Poland’s major industrial region, Katowice, Dr. Zaleska was inspired by her mother, an attorney, and her father, an economist, who loved taking their young daughter for countryside walks pondering the nature of living things and discussing the process of photosynthesis! By the time she was 16, Dr. Zaleska knew she wanted to be a scientist. Her favorite subjects in high school were chemistry and biology, subjects providing understanding of “how and why living organisms do what they do”. This became her lifelong pursuit. Today, she encourages teachers to present women scientists as role models for young girls.“Wyeth Research provides a welcoming environment for women in science,” Dr. Zaleska says. “I just completed a two year company course entitled Women as Leaders in Discovery. The company sets a wonderful example for others to follow.”