Event
CHBE Seminar: Dr. Irina Ramos, AstraZeneca
Friday, May 3, 2024
11:00 a.m.
Room 2108 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Patricia Lorenzana
301-405-1935
plorenza@umd.edu
Engineering careers in the Biopharmaceutical industry
Abstract: How do you envision your engineer career in a biopharmaceutical company? What opportunities and functions benefit from your skills and how can you prepare yourself to succeed and thrive in the industry setting?
In this seminar, we will have an overview of drug and bioprocess development and how a chemical engineer fits into the workforce. Examples and insights on how you can leverage innovation to improve accessibility of drugs to patients across the world. We will explore what unit operations are part of a biopharmaceutical processes, from upstream to downstream, that fit within facilities and equipment to successfully produce complex drugs called Biologics. These products (mAbs, ADCs, bispecific, vaccines,…) are diverse, large and complex molecules that require well controlled processes and analytical characterization to be approved. Including a review of mixing in bioprocess will be presented, focusing on (1) requirements for equipment and their mechanical design, (2) qualification of process accessories such as chromatography columns, (3) impact on product quality, (4) modeling to support technology transfer and scale-up, (5) buffer and media preparation, (6) single-use technologies, and (7) automation and process intensification, which will lead to considerations for next generation manufacturing, also known as continuous bioprocessing.
We will review tips and lessons on how to prepare yourself for job searching and interviews. Learn about the importance of collaboration and benefits from building a network.
Irina holds a BS/MS in Chemical Engineering from University of Porto (Portugal) and a PhD in Chemical & Biochemical Engineering from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
For the past 14 years, Irina’s work in the pharmaceutical industry has spanned from early to late-stage process development and validation, process scalability, CMC and technology transfer to both clinical and commercial manufacturing. With that experience, Irina lead process transfer efforts of the AZ COVID-19 vaccine. She has been involved with NIIMBL Process Intensification program by leading the Control Strategy workstream since 2020.
Irina has been teaching a graduate level classes on Biotechnology Master program since 2015. She is passionate about mentorship and developing resources to improve the communication of science.
