10 most admirable women leaders in biotech for 2021

Dr. Cornelia
Haag-Molkenteller
Leing Innovation Lead the Way
Know Your Leader
2021
MOST
ADMIRABLE
Women
Leadersin
Biotech for
Dr. Cornelia
Haag-Molkenteller
Execu ve Vice President
and Chief Medical Oﬃcer
Urovant Sciences, Inc.
VOL 10
ISSUE 02
2021
Understanding the
Importance of a CRO in
Drug Development
Inside Details
Corporate Leadership
Styles: What kind of
a leader are you?

hat biotechnology plays a vital role in the well-
Tbeing of humankind is known to all. Researches
conducted worldwide have time and again proven
the importance of biotechnology.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the
importance of life sciences. Realizing its importance,
companies are eager to fund biotech research and the sector
as a whole. Recent times have also thrown the spotlight on
women who have assumed prominence in the biotech
space. It is no surprise that the child-bearer is making giant
strides in the field. They are revolutionizing the biotech
space with their discoveries for treating diseases or
enhancing the present ways of treatment for efficiency.
Biotechnologists form an integral part of the healthcare
space, from finding cures for diseases, drug development,
plant biotechnology, improving the food that we eat, and
enhancing the quality of human life. Women are
increasingly distinguishing themselves with their path-
breaking contributions in the field.
And of course, who can forget the contribution of Rosalind
Franklin towards the discovery of the double-helix structure
of the DNA! She set the trend for many women to follow
and lead the biotech space.
Women have proven themselves as great leaders with their
excellent management skills, multi-tasking, and empathy –
the qualities that are natural in them. These leadership
qualities in the biotech space are an added advantage.
Women have set themselves apart through their professional
achievements and contributions to the well-being of
humankind.
They are establishing themselves as leaders in biotech
companies and researchers and are even starting their
companies. Navigating companies for better research,
market expansion, and gathering funding, these women also
have leveraged technology to increase efficiency in the
biotech vertical. They have amalgamated science and
technology, proving that women no longer can be
stereotyped as technologically-handicapped.
Their contributions in the biotech field cannot be
overlooked. To celebrate the achievements of such
distinguished women leaders, their journey, and
contributions in the biotech sector, we came up with our
new edition of Insights Care, 10 Most Admirable Women
Leaders in Biotech for 2021.
Read through this interesting issue and discover the exciting
journey of women leaders in the biotech space.
Have an enlightening read!
Sumita Sarkar
The Era of Women Leaders
in the Biotech Space

20
Corporate Leadership
Styles: What kind of
a leader are you?
Know Your Leader
28
Understanding the
Importance of a CRO in
Drug Development
Inside Details
Articles
Cover Story
Dr. Cornelia
Haag-Molkenteller
08

16
32
36
Dr Elin Haf
Davies
Transforming the
Healthcare Space Through
Decentralised Clinical Trials
Lyndsey
Harper, MD
Changing the Landscapes
of Women’s Health
and Sexual Wellness
Natalie
Bartlett
Chauffeur of Modern
Change in the Biotech
Industry
CxO
Jeeva Senthilnathan
Education after the Pandemic
24

Co-designer Paul Belin
Art & Picture Editor Rohil Shinganapurkar
Art & Design Assistant
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Managing Editor Trishika
Senior Editor Anish Miller
Visualiser David King
Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Circulation Manager Tanaji
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent
Business Development Executives
Amy Jones
Business Development Manager
Sales Executives Kelli, Bill, Anna
SME-SMO Executives Atul, Gemson
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Technical Consultants David, Robert
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Marketing Manager John Smith
Assistant Technical Head Pratiksha Patil
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
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April, 2021
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Description
Featuring
Christine Placet
CEO
HORAMA S.A
horama.fr
Horama is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on
developing life changing gene therapies in rare ocular and
CNS (Central Nervous System) diseases.
Daphne Koller
Founder and CEO
Insitro
insitro.com
insitro is a data-driven drug discovery and development
company that leverages machine learning and high-throughput
biology to transform the way medicines are created to help
patients.
Darlene Higbee Clarkin
CEO and Founder
KORE Digital
Health Therapeutics
koredigitalhealth.com
Dr. Cornelia
Haag-Molkenteller
Executive Vice President
UROVANT SCIENCE
urovant.com
Urovant Sciences aims to advance urologic patient care
through bold innovation, based on diversity of thought,
openness to new ideas, adaptation to change, integrity and
compassion.
Houda Hachad
Vice President of
Clinical Operations
AccessDx Laboratory
accessdxlab.com
AccessDx Laboratory is a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited, and
NYCQ diagnostic laboratory dedicated to providing clinical
insights that improve patient outcomes.
Rock Health
rockhealth.com
Rock Health is making healthcare massively better by
investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs, advising
major corporations on what matters in digital health, and
working to scale health equity for all humanity.
Katie Drasser
CEO
Rosy Wellness
meetrosy.com
Designed by doctors and psychologists for the 43% of
women who have sexual problems and questions. Rosy is
the first-of-its-kind platform offering women a holistic
approach to sexual health and wellness.
Natalie Bartlett
Chief of Staff
ZAGENO Inc
zageno.com
Sophia Wang
Co-founder and Chief
of Culture
MycoWorks, Inc
mycoworks.com
MycpWorks creates materials at the intersection of art,
nature and biotechnology using mycelium, one of the earth’s
most regenerative resources.
KORE Digital Health Therapeutics is optimizing digestive
health outcomes through behaviour change, progressive
nutritional education and evidence-based digital
therapeutics.
ZAGENO is on a mission to accelerate scientific innovation
by streamlining biotech purchasing processes with its
award-winning, first-of-its-kind e-commerce platform.
Dr. Elin Haf Davies
CEO
Aparito
aparito.com
Aparito streamlines the drug development process by
integrating specialist clinical and regulatory knowledge with
technology for gathering patient-generated data outside of
hospital.
Lyndsey Harpere
MD, Founder, and CEO
Company Name
2021
MOST
ADMIRABLE
Women
Leader in
Biotechfor

Dr. Cornelia
Haag-Molkenteller
“
“
Many may not think of overactive
bladder (OAB) as an area of unmet
need; however, even with more products
being available to address this
condition, the stigma remains.

Dr. Cornelia
Haag-Molkenteller
Execu ve Vice President
Urovant Sciences, Inc.

For professionals and leaders within the healthcare
and associated sectors, the term ‘changing lives’
elicits a profound emotion. Every day their passion
and commitment is channeled into finding solutions for
patients’ needs.
Through the 10 Most Admirable Women Leaders in Biotech
for 2021, the team at Insights Care is seeking these leaders
from across the globe and bringing them into the spotlight
that they rightfully deserve. In that journey, we crossed
paths with Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, a seasoned
biotechnology professional.
As Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at
Urovant Sciences, Inc., Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, MD,
Ph.D., has found a home where she can advance her passion
for helping address unmet needs through, as she describes
it, “innovation with truly novel approaches.”
Many may not think of overactive bladder (OAB) as an area
of unmet need; however, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller, a
clinically trained urologist originally from Germany,
understands that, even with more products being available
to address this condition, the stigma remains. And many
patients—both women and men—are reluctant to talk with
their healthcare providers about their challenges with
bladder issues and OAB.
Therefore, many patients do not seek out effective medical
treatments that are available today to help manage many of
the bothersome symptoms that have a limiting effect on
their daily lives. “People are reluctant to mention OAB to
their doctors; it’s embarrassing for them to discuss the
topic,” she added. “And it’s not a subject the doctor will
always ask about, either.”
Dr. Haag-Molkenteller joined Urovant in April 2018
following stints at both large and mid-size pharmaceutical
companies, including 10 years at Allergan where she led the
clinical development of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX™)
for OAB and neurogenic detrusor overactivity along with
other development programs. Her last position at Allergan
was as Therapeutic Area Head of Women’s Health,
Urology, and Internal Medicine in Clinical Development.
“Experience in a variety of different company structures is
extremely important,” she pointed out. “For me, as a young
physician entering a large company, it was about learning
processes. By working first for larger companies, I learned
how the process of developing and obtaining approvals of
new drugs happens,” she said.
“I also learned how to work internationally with the
company offices and study sites in the different countries
and with all levels of company management. As a
physician, I continue to be very passionate about urology,
the specialty I trained in. For me, urology was a great
choice among the surgical specialties because it combines
the practice of diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment,
and follow up for patients.”
Dr. Haag-Molkenteller describes her previous experience as
‘a good training ground’ for her current work and how it
helped her realize why Urovant is the right fit for her
professional goals.
“At Urovant, there are fewer management layers, allowing
for faster decision making and higher agility and
innovation.” From working at larger companies, Dr. Haag-
Molkenteller also believes she learned how to work within
a complex organization and how to adapt to a variety of
leadership styles. She attributes these experiences to why
she appreciates being part of Urovant’s dedicated leadership
team.
“Urovant offers a very collaborative and trusting
environment. We have a strong leadership team, headed by
President and CEO Jim Robinson. Importantly, however,
everyone on the team is approachable and open to new
ideas,” she added. “We also share a commitment to doing
the right thing for patients and healthcare providers, as well
as for our employees.”
“
“
Urovant offers a very
collaborative and
trusting environment.
We also share a
commitment to doing
the right thing for
patients and healthcare
providers, as well as for
our employees.

“
“
Focus on innovation and
innovative products and
technologies to serve
patient needs. Really think
about what can be done,
then keep on pushing
forward on how to best
achieve it.
Successful FDAApproval During a Pandemic
The pandemic could not have struck at a more challenging
time for the Irvine, California-based company. The New
Drug Application for Urovant’s first commercial offering,
vibegron, was in the final stages of review by the U.S. Food
& Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of the first new
oral branded medication in nearly 10 years for the treatment
of OAB. The Urovant team responded to all FDA requests
in a timely manner, despite the challenges with the
pandemic and the demands of completing most of the work
and meetings virtually.
“It is a testament to the dedication of the entire Urovant
team, our investigative and development partners and the
FDA that we were able to obtain approval during the
pandemic,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller stated. The new drug
approved under the brand name GEMTESA™ (vibegron),
was approved by the FDA on December 23, 2020.
“For our ongoing clinical studies, the pandemic caused us
to implement a temporary pause in new patient
enrolments,” Dr. Haag-Molkenteller recalled. “Then,
reopening of those study sites was done on a one-by-one
basis depending on regional COVID-19 infection rates and
making sure each center had appropriate COVID protection
measures in place. We followed the FDA’s and other
regulatory authority’s guidance on the conduct of clinical
studies during the pandemic.”
With patient and staff safety paramount, “the Urovant team
engaged with the clinical study sites and development
partners to add remote visits to the protocols and other
measures to reduce the potential risk to patients and site
staff.”
10 Most Admirable Women Leader in Biotech for 2021

Additionally, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller credits current newer
technologies with helping to support the ‘human element’
of teamwork, so that the team could collaborate virtually
during the COVID-19 shutdown. “Because of the new
virtual conferencing technologies, we were able to see each
other, and this offered a huge advantage over what we could
have done over the phone,” she expressed.
After working virtually for a few months and as the
pandemic continued, the senior management team, led by
CEO Jim Robinson, established the parameters for Urovant
employees coming back into the offices in alignment with
CDC and state guidelines.
Putting Patients First
When asked about how biotech companies can address the
ever-changing landscape of patient needs, Dr. Haag-
Molkenteller sees tenacity as key. “Focus on innovation and
innovative products and technologies to serve patient needs.
Really think about what can be done, then keep on pushing
forward on how to best achieve it,” she advised.
“The mRNA vaccines are an excellent example. At
Urovant, we are focused on new and differentiated
medicines for patients, their families and healthcare
providers. We are always looking for new solutions and
new compounds. We are looking for truly innovative new
compounds to address unmet patient needs.”
Dr. Haag-Molkenteller also appreciates that even the most
innovative medicines cannot benefit patients unless they
have access to it. “We have a dedicated and very
experienced market access team for the U.S. to enable
insurance coverage of our medicines. That allows our R&D
team the ability to focus on novel therapies and
technologies,” she adds.
“We keep an open mind to opportunities that make sense
for Urovant and the company’s capabilities and structure.
It’s always foremost that any new product we pursue be
right for the patients and healthcare providers we already
serve.”
Encouragement for Aspiring Innovators
Dr. Haag-Molkenteller advises budding biotech
entrepreneurs to, “Keep on moving with an eye toward the
path forward and be prepared to adjust as needed. The path
“
“
Think ‘outside of the box’
when partnering with
regulatory authorities,
keeping in mind they are
also interested in
bringing efcacious and
safe new medicines to
patients.

“
“
The Urovant team engaged
with the clinical study
sites and development
partners to add remote
visits to the protocols and
other measures to reduce
the potential risk to
patients and site staff.
will not always be straight forward – you need to keep this
in mind. It’s important for those of us in the medical
development community to remember that the path is not
straight most of the time.”
Her advice regarding the design of clinical development
programs focuses on the importance of people. “Work
collaboratively with the clinicians, always remembering to
consider the desired outcome in a clinical trial program
from the patient and healthcare providers’ perspective. A
‘cool new thing’ has no relevance if it doesn’t meet patient
needs,” she stressed.
“Think ‘outside of the box’ when partnering with regulatory
authorities, keeping in mind they are also interested in
bringing efficacious and safe new medicines to patients.”
She also charges the industry to “find better ways to
manufacture drugs cost effectively while making the best
quality medicines for all.”
Some final guidance for women aspiring for positions of
leadership in the biotech world: “Lead by example,” Dr.
Haag-Molkenteller advised. “Learn from your role models,
both men and women. Keep an open mind and don’t be
limited to only one role model. Follow all those you
admire.”
A Vision for the Future and Future Generations
When asked about her blueprint for scaling Urovant’s
operations and offerings, Dr. Haag-Molkenteller says,
“Over the next five years, I see Urovant expanding its
footprint in urology and possibly other specialties with new,
novel products coming into our pipeline.”
“We are indeed fortunate to have a medical professional of
Cornelia’s caliber on our leadership team at Urovant,” said
Urovant President and CEO, Jim Robinson. “She is an
immensely capable leader and has assembled a world-class
team of research and development experts at Urovant. Her
experience in developing new drugs and concern for people
dealing with urologic challenges has been a critical factor in
bringing GEMTESA to healthcare providers and their
patients, and I am grateful for her many contributions to
help drive the success of our company into the future.”
Up next for Urovant and Dr. Haag-Molkenteller are
advancing the Urovant clinical pipeline, including the
investigation of vibegron in OAB in men with benign
prostatic hyperplasia, as well as URO-902, which is
currently in early clinical development and has the potential
to be the first gene therapy for OAB.

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Dr Elin Haf Davies
Transforming the Healthcare Space Through
Decentralised Clinical Trials
too. The COVID-19 pandemic was a decisive situation
where the whole world swiftly adopted remote working.
Resultantly, many people came forward to serve the
patients and to provide them with essentials regarding their
treatment.
Dr Elin Haf Davies is one of the leading names on that list.
Dr Davies is the CEO of Aparito – a tech company which
provides remote patient monitoring services by means of
wearable devices to monitor rare diseases.
In an interview with Insights Care, Elin shares her journey
in the healthcare sector, her company Aparito, and the key
aspects of the global biotechnology space. Below are the
highlights of the interview:
Dr Davies, please give us a brief overview of your
journey as the CEO of Aparito.
Aparito might only be seven years old, but the background
is 22+ years based on my clinical experience at Great
Ormond St Children’s Hospital, my academic experience at
University College London, and regulatory experience at
the European Medicine Agency – all pivotal chapters of my
career that contributes signiﬁcantly to the creation of
Aparito.
People living in remote areas are less likely to get
medical treatment timely. They have physical
limitations to reach out to doctors every time.
Especially, people suﬀering from chronic diseases need
more healthcare attention. Here comes remote patient
monitoring (RPM) in the picture. RPM allows patients to
take the necessary treatment as per their need. It provides a
way to keep track of patients outside of the clinic.
Technological advancement has triggered the process of
digitalisation. This digitalisation is widely spreading in
every sector. It is driving the wagons in the healthcare space
Our approach
is very much to develop
digital biomarkers via
video-based assessments
and wearables for
monitoring and prognostic
purposes.
Dr Elin Haf Davies
CEO
16|October 2021|www.insightscare.com

Tell us more about Aparito, its vision, and the key
aspects of its stronghold in the global Biotechnology
space.
The vision for Aparito is to completely change the experi-
ence of clinical trials for patients and their families. Patient
centricity has been a bit of a tokenistic gesture, but now we
do finally see the opportunity that we can take clinical trials
to patients with high unmet needs rather than bring the
patient to the clinical trials.
From a business leadership perspective, what is your
opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
the Biotechnology industry?
From our side, supporting remote patient monitoring and
decentralised clinical trials has opened doors of opportunity
which were previously shut, specifically turning what we do
from being a nicety into a necessity.
What efforts did you take during the pandemic to
sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at
the same time?
Being a tech company, we were ideally set up for working
remotely, and the team has been immense, not just in
adjusting to working remotely but accelerating through it.

What is your opinion on the necessity for biotech
companies to align their oﬀerings with technologies like
AI and ML, especially when catering to the ever-
evolving healthcare needs?
Our approach is very much to develop digital biomarkers
via video-based assessments and wearables for monitoring
and prognostic purposes. ML and AI will be key enablers to
that, but I loathe the hype surrounding AI in healthcare
which is yet to live up to expectations and assure us that it
won’t lead to harm for many if left unregulated and without
an ethical framework of the application.
As an established industry leader, what would be your
advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts
aspiring to venture into the healthcare services
industry?
Find your north star and stay true to it. Being a founder is
an extremely lonely and exhausting place, so you need to
have a strong vision to keep you going through the tough
times.
How do you envision further strengthening Aparito’s
stronghold in 2022?
We want to expand the impact and the value that we bring
to patients by delivering high-quality technology and
solutions.

Corporate
Styles
What kind of a
S
ince the industrial revolution, the world has seen
several leaders that have transformed the corporate
world. The need to manage a huge number of people
requires skills and courage at the same time. The corporate
world, after every few years, has given rise to a new leader,
who has changed the working and has turned a small
venture into a global empire.
There are different styles of leadership that have defined the
success of the company. There has never been a specific
style of leadership that will define success. However, the
leadership style may differ from person to person and from
the type of work that needs to get done in the industry. Over
the years, many leaders have adapted to different styles to
achieve the company goals and bring the best out of their
employees.
The leadership style is often regarded as the method,
direction, and motivation the leader chooses to lead the
team members. Though most of the leaders with time tend
to develop their unique leadership styles, there are some of
the leadership styles that are already established in the
corporate world. In this article, we have listed some of the
major corporate leadership styles, read on to know what
kind of a leader are you.
1. Coach Style Leadership
The coach-style leadership is one of the most effective and
innovative styles of leadership. Just like a coach and player
relationship in a sports team, this style is seen in many
corporates today. The leader is the coach who instructs and
trains the employees to achieve the end goal.

Know Your Leader

In this style of leadership, the leader often sets goals for the
teammates, assisting them with their target completion and
providing them with regular feedback. Leaders help in
setting clear expectations while creating an environment
with positivity and motivation, the period required for all
this is quite high. Being a time taking process, this is the
only drawback that this leadership style has.
2. Democratic Leadership
In a democratic leadership, the decision is not taken unless
the whole board approves of it. Though the ‘decision to
take’ power is completely in the hands of the leader, the
leader takes into account the insights of everyone regarding
that project before finalizing the decision.
Over the years, it has been a leadership style that has been
widely accepted and adopted by leaders across the world.
As this leadership style allows every employee of the
company to express their views, it also gives the employees
a wide spectrum on how the decisions are made at a higher
level or in a board meeting.
3. Autocratic or Authoritarian Leadership
Autocratic or authoritarian leadership is the opposite of
democratic leadership. The leadership decides the future of
the company by consulting anyone. It gives the leader the
freedom to define expectations and outcomes from the
employees. This type of leadership is often seen at
workplaces where the leader is the most knowledgeable
individual in the group. This type of leadership saves an
ample amount of time, but sometimes creativity has to be
sacrificed to meet the required needs. Apart from that, to
give the peers clear and specific guidelines, such leadership
style of leading the team is required.
Often times the legendary entrepreneur Steve Jobs has
adopted this style of leadership to meet the company goals.
4. Laissez-Faire Leadership
With the rise of startup culture all around the world,
Laissez-Faire leadership has become more and more
popular. In this type of leadership, the leader gives the
employees complete freedom to finish the task. There are
often no specific working hours, deadlines, etc., but the
need for getting the work done is what is prioritized in this
style of leadership.
This type of leadership is often seen in startups where the
employees handle the work pressure, and the leader focuses
on the growth of the company. This style of leadership
sounds appealing, but when it comes to implementing it on
a larger number of people, it might raise any major issues.
As long as the number of people under this style is
controlled, this leadership style will not possess any major
threats.
5. Strategic Leadership
There are many leaderships that the world has come across.
Strategic leadership has been one of such leaderships that
has evolved with time and is integrated today into the
corporate world. As the name suggests, it is a strategic
approach to achieving the company’s objective. A leader
often lays down a plan keeping all the strong points in mind
and guides the team to achieve the objective of the
company. Over the years, it has become an effective way of
managing different types of employees and bringing out
quality work.
Different leaders have even mixed two or more types of
leadership qualities to achieve the company’s goals. A good
leadership style is not just achieving the objectives but also
maintaining the employee’s happiness. Transformational
leadership style, transactional leadership style,
bureaucratical leadership style, etc., are some of the styles
that have made their way into the list of corporate
leadership styles.
Though leaders have always been known for making their
way out of the crowd, the aforementioned are some of the
best leadership styles that are present in the industry that
can help you assess the leader inside you. On the other
hand, you can always break the stereotype and define your
own leadership style!
- Ashlesh Khadse

Education after the
Pandemic:
Things
Educators
Must Consider
I
th
t was April 7 , 2020, when I remember my Physics
Professor emailing students not to come to class for the
following week because the COVID-19 pandemic had
become a serious threat to public health. I had been burning
the midnight oil for four months of sending in college
applications, and I couldn’t believe my eyes that my life
was being shifted to completing my high school education
at home.
At first, I was relieved. I was very tired during my senior
year from completing seemingly endless assignments.
Moreover, taking exams in person was exhausting after the
burnout from writing college applications. Fast forward
eight months: my mental health took a hit during my first
semester of college.
I had never really attended the high school homecomings or
prom because I never really liked them; I was so
academic-focused, I knew that I would receive my moment
at graduation… until I didn’t. I was in the graduating class
of 2020, where I had my laptop open, sat on my bed, wore
my graduation cap over Zoom, and threw it up in the air as
it hit the ceiling and came back down. That’s how I’ll
remember my allegedly “most memorable” high school
moment.
Even though I didn’t have the greatest high school
graduation experience, I knew it was important for me to
stay at home through the pandemic to help reduce
COVID-19 cases and make the lives of frontline healthcare
workers easier. I felt like I could catch up on sleep that I
had missed out on in those four years of high school. The
summer was somewhat joyful because that was the most
amount of rest I have had in my life, but it was equally, if
not more, disheartening to see families lose their loved ones
from the virus.
As I was heading into my first year of college,
administrators removed the “first-year dorm policy”, so I
ended up taking my engineering classes virtually while
living from home. In the process of doing so, it was the first
th
day of school – August 24 , 2020. I was exploring the new
portal my university used for students to look up their

Jeeva Senthilnathan is a 19-year-old undergraduate student currently pursuing
Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. She pursued a dual enrollment
option, now holding an associate degree from Arapahoe Community College and her high
school diploma from Colorado Early Colleges Parker.
During the 2020 presidential election, she was chosen to be a DNC Delegate for Senator
th
Bernie Sanders from Colorado’s 4 Congressional District and had the opportunity to work
on policies surrounding Medicare For All with the national committee.
Jeeva has also received multiple recognitions, from becoming a 2021 Global Teen Leader
from Nile Rodger’s We Are Family Foundation, a 2021 Diana Awardee from Princess Diana in
the UK, and a 2020 Presidential Volunteer Service Awardee.
She was also a former candidate for the Parker Town Council in Douglas County, Colorado,
and has been thus far one of the youngest Indian-American women to have run for oﬃce in
the United States.
About The Author
Subtitle

assignments and schedule. I had clicked the Zoom link for
chemistry class only to see the face of my professor. No
students.
My professor then proceeded to explain that class would be
conducted as a webinar “to fit the class size” and that we
wouldn’t be receiving access to recorded lectures because
we had “to imagine what class would be like in person, that
we would need to absorb the knowledge in one go.” On top
of this, we couldn’t ask questions in class directly, and we
would have to email our questions to the professor.
Right off the bat, I was concerned about how I was going to
pass this college class with so many restrictions in place.
We had to “imagine normality” when life wasn’t normal at
the time. From this experience onwards, many other college
classes I had taken were a lot more lenient than this one, but
if one thing became clear to me at this time, it was that
teachers needed to be better about prioritizing mental
health, and as it currently stands, the
administrators/professors appear to be making no effort to
do so.
Educators need to teach the basic foundation for students.
We were exhausted by “tricky methods” from our teachers
trying to catch attendance over the screen through iclickers
and also from sitting in one room for hours, completing our
assignments.
After the pandemic, there are many lessons to take away
from the education space. When school was to be attended
in person, students always discussed how they should just
“pass” the class instead of actually learning the content.
Educators need to understand that giving us 20+ hours of
homework each week only causes mental strain and anxiety
for us to rush and complete the assignments rather than
learning the material with depth.
Students need to explore the subject to gain a passion for
the subject and while investing their own time into
understanding the content, completing the homework, and
taking the exams. Keep in mind the general college student
takes five courses in a semester. That will be 100 hours of
coursework weekly if the teachers follow the 20-hour rule,
which, unfortunately, most college professors do.
Honestly speaking, many students skipped classes over the
pandemic to take out time for themselves and watched
recorded lectures at their leisure. If educators continue to
assign students homework with long hours, they should at
least incorporate free time for students to rest or work on
their own passion projects.
Providing students time for self-care will bring them to be
more engaged within the course material if they are relaxed.
I can remember the countless times where I was drawn
away from the course and the professor because I had lost
sleep and felt more irritated, spent numerous hours on
assignments, or simply was not given any time for self-care.
Another learning moment for teachers: checking in weekly
or monthly will help you understand the current difficulties
of what your students are undergoing, and it will also help
you tweak your curriculum for the success of your next
class.
Year after year, professors lecture students to learn time
management. While students have been time-managing
their course workload, education is reformed each year,
especially as the technology gets more advanced, and in
turn, coursework and knowledge required to succeed only
get harder.
This is all supposed to set students to the standards of
current technological advancements and modernized life
routines, but what is life if we spend 100% of our time on
work? What about the college experience – going to
football games, falling in love, hanging out with friends?
This seems to be nonexistent in my engineering degree as it
currently stands in a post-COVID era.
On top of this, students who typically had faced bullying
and anxiety in person had immensely decreased over the
pandemic. Students had the option to turn their cameras
on/off and also had limited chatting abilities. Moving
forward, educators must also consider how they will
recognize this bullying and anxiety for a healthy and safe
space for all students in the classroom.

of a CRO
in
Drug
Development
Understanding
the Importance
In recent years, the enhancements in medical technologies and the
growing success of the drug development industry have resulted in
changing the scenario of utilizing the Contract Research
Organizations (CROs) and biotech.
With consolidations and acquisitions, CROs continue to grow and
expand their scope in drug development services by:
Augmenting the Drug Development Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has put the medical and pharmaceutical
industry into the spotlight, and it is highlighting the increasing level of
public interest in the clinical development process. It is now globally
recognized that the latest advancements and developments in the
medical industry and the clinical successes during the pandemic would
not have been possible without the assistance of CROs.
Inside Details

Efficient, prompt, and precise medical expertise is the
crucial fundamental that is required for clinical trials. This
fundamental is more important in tackling the current
pandemic situation.
In an industry where time and medical expertise are
necessary, CROs are being essential resources that are
playing a pivotal role in the success of many studies, also
developing vital drugs and treatments for the patients.
On the other hand, there was immense pressure on the
medical industry to deliver a vaccine in the shortest time
possible. While medical companies played an important
role in these procedures, the delivery would not have been
possible without the expertise, and vast resources brought
forward by CROs in the medical industry.
With the increase in personalized medical assistance and
medicine consumption, the one-size-fits-all model is
becoming obsolete. However, coupled with the medical
industry’s drive to make trials more accessible and efficient
for the patients, technology has become a vital element in
clinical procedures and trials.
On the brighter side, CROs are at the forefront by
implementing the latest technologies and tools that are
available to maintain a competitive advantage. They are
ensuring that they are offering a full spectrum of available
solutions for their partnering medical companies and their
patients. Given that these CROs work with hundreds of
global partners and sponsors, their working environment
and background provide them with an ample amount of
data to provide reliable solutions to the medical industry.
Additionally, CROs provide cost-effective solutions.
CROs have come a long way in very little time, considering
that these organizations hardly existed a decade ago. As
medical companies and pharmaceutical houses face the
pressure of increasing drug costs, these research
organizations provide them with great cost-effective
alternatives.
These alternatives reduce the cost of overhead operations
and ensure that they do not lose out on the profit due to
lower costs of prescription drugs. CROs have also
presented a more affordable outlet for the companies and
medical institutions pursuing and working on new
medications.
Providing Cost-Effective Solutions
Earlier, the approval to pursue a drug test was expensive
and required a lot of effort, and the approvals were possible
when the situation was backed up by a guaranteed strong
demand and a large market base.
The cost-effective operations of CROs allow the
pharmaceutical companies to develop rare and smaller
drugs with treatment methods as per the requirements of the
healthcare suppliers. With these strong aspects, there is now
an increased presence and demand for CROs in the drug
development industry. Companies are significantly gearing
up to utilize this opportunity.
CROs, on the brighter side, are also evolving to meet the
demands of a new, global economy. They are keeping the
best interests of both the patients and the shareholders by
fulfilling diversified demands. CROs continue to enhance
excellence in adhering to GLPs and regulations in the
medical and drug development sector.
As large CROs have acquired regional capacity, and they
are also serving as specialist service providers, the number
of smaller and independent CROs is significantly reduced.
On the other hand, smaller CROs are enhancing the specific
areas of drug development by providing quality-assured
clinical trial supplies and equipment.
Enabling Convenience
CROs are playing a crucial role in the drug development
industry over the past few decades, and they have expanded
their services to become more than just a simple
outsourcing resource. They are the experts in this sector,
with active partnerships in clinical research, and they are
contributing dejectedly in driving the success rate of the
medical and drug development industry.
The drug development industry is embracing these
partnerships and collaborations with CROs, and by doing
so, companies are experiencing clear performance
indicators. They are setting up new standards with a clear
governance structure. CROs and the drug development
industry together are on the way to their fruitful and stable
relationship, enabling convenient, cost-effective, and
reliable solutions.
- Abhishek Joshi

Lyndsey Harper, MD
Changing the Landscapes of Women’s Health
and Sexual Wellness
The stigma around female
sexuality and wellness has
long been persistent in society.
It is omnipresent and impacts the
everyday life of women. Women suffer
from many health issues, yet they feel
uncomfortable expressing their
problems. There has been a lot of
awkward silence when it comes to
women’s sexual wellness. This harsh
reality is not limited to the developing
economies but is a concern for people
in the developed nations as
well – despite having all the medical
facilities.
We are becoming a more
health-conscious society than ever. We
literally have become educated
consumers of our bodies, but we are
still far behind in overcoming
potentially lethal stigmas in society.
Hence to get rid of the awkwardness
around women’s sexual health, some
aware individuals started providing
women’s sexual wellness services. One
prominent name in that list is Lyndsey
Harper, MD who created waves in
women’s healthcare through her
company – Rosy Wellness, Inc.
In an interview with Insights Care, Dr.
Harper shares her experience in the
women's healthcare space, its
importance, and the necessity of
creating awareness about female sexual
wellness. Below are the highlights of
the interview:
Give us a brief overview of your
journey as the Founder and CEO of
Rosy Wellness, Inc., and tell us what
inspired you to venture into the
healthcare sector.
As an OB-GYN in private practice,
women would ask me to help them
with sexual problems every day. Sadly,
even as a women's health expert, I had
not been trained to treat these
conditions that 43% of women have.
Instead, doctors are trained to tell their
patients to 'drink a glass of wine' or 'go
on a vacation’.
We would never say these things to
men with sexual problems. Out of this
need came my desire to create an
evidence-based resource where
patients could find legitimate solutions
to their problems and connect with one
another in order to erase the shame and
isolation that so many women are
feeling.
Tell us more about Rosy Wellness, its
vision, and the key aspects of its
stronghold in women's sexual health
and wellness niche.
Rosy’s mission is to create solutions
that empower women on their journey
toward sexual health. We want to meet
the 1.9 billion women in the world who
have a sexual problem exactly where
they are in their busy lives with
solutions that make sense. Rosy's
platform is convenient, private, and
accessible.
In addition, our users have been shown
to find sexual health benefits after use
of the platform, as outlined in an
abstract in the Journal of Sexual
Medicine in 2020. We exist to support
women and their healthcare providers
who now have a trusted resource to
which they can refer their patients who
need help. Currently, more than 6% of
OB-GYN in the US are recommending
Rosy to their patients.
From a leadership perspective, what
is your opinion on the impact of the
pandemic on the global healthcare
sector, and how did you aid your
organization to overcome the
challenges rooting from the
pandemic?
The pandemic had many effects on
healthcare, and in my opinion, most of
them have been for the best. We have
moved forward what would have likely
taken more than a decade in under a
year. The need for more convenient,
less centralized options for care was
mandatory.
The options for remote and digital care
that so many of us were already
focused on were welcomed to center
stage and forced both provider and
patient adoption overnight. These
changes have their challenges, but they

We exist not only
to support women
but also their
healthcare providers
who now have a
trusted resource to
which they can refer
their patients who
need help.
Lyndsey Harper, MD
– Founder and CEO

also have many gifts that the healthcare
system now realizes much earlier than
we would have without the pandemic.
Rosy offered support to our users
during the pandemic by offering them a
safe, digital space to access
evidence-based information during a
time when they needed it the most.
Many of us spent more time with our
partners than ever before, often
emphasizing potential relationship and
sexual issues. We are proud to support
women and their partners during this
new phase of life.
What is your opinion on the
necessity for healthcare companies
to align their offerings with newer
technological developments,
especially when it comes to catering
to the ever-evolving needs of the
industry?
A healthcare company that ignores
technology will definitely lose the long
game in this current climate.
Healthcare consumers expect easy
transitions and access along the entire
healthcare journey. Unfortunately, this
is much easier said than done given
current regulatory and technological
challenges, but healthcare companies
and systems must prioritize to
compete.
What efforts did you and your team
at Rosy Wellness take during the
pandemic to sustain operations and
ensure the safety of your employees
at the same time?
During the pandemic and still,
currently, our team went to a
completely remote environment. We
had to make adjustments in terms of
communication and team building, but
we knew that this was the safest thing
for our employees.
Since that time, many people on our
team have now taken advantage of that
flexibility and have moved to other
places in order to explore their dreams.
At Rosy, we are completely invested in
the personal and professional growth
of each of our team members. We are
proud to be able to show this in our
new circumstances.
In your opinion, what could be the
future of the healthcare sector post
the pandemic? And how are you
strategizing Rosy Wellness'
operations for that future?
The future of healthcare treats patients
with the respect and independence that
they deserve. With increased options
for consumers, healthcare systems will
be forced to rethink the entire patient
experience. Every aspect of healthcare
must evolve from the education of each
individual, incentivizing wellness over
pathology, pricing transparency, and
the patient-provider relationship.
Rosy is a model for the future of
healthcare because we focus on
changing the baseline understanding of
each of our members while also
meeting them where they are in their
busy lives. We have increased access to
high-quality resources while also
breaking down barriers such as high
cost and geographical constraints.
Rosy is changing the narrative by
offering women an individualized
experience in a community setting.
If given a chance, what is the one
thing that you would change about
the global healthcare industry?
Globally, access to healthcare is the
biggest challenge we face. So many of
us in resource-rich countries have no
idea what it would be like to be a
patient in a different setting. There are
countless opportunities to raise the bar
for people across the world through
new technologies and strategies that
have been developed in the last 18
months.
As an established leader, what would
be your advice to the budding
entrepreneurs aspiring to venture
into the healthcare sector?
My advice would be to know your
buyer. There are many healthcare
innovations to be made, but in order to
build a successful business, there must
be someone willing to buy your
solution. It is helpful to understand that
what is needed isn't always what is
successful. The best healthcare
companies figure out a way to
accomplish both.
Pertaining to your role as Rosy
Wellness’s CEO, how do you
envision scaling your company's
ambitions in 2022 and beyond?
Rosy will continue to change the
narrative about women's sexual health
amongst women, our partners,
healthcare providers, insurance
companies, and the media. We will not
rest until women across the globe
understand that they are not alone, and
evidence-based therapies exist to solve
their problems.

Natalie Bartlett
Chauffeur of Modern Change in the Biotech Industry
Pharma R&D is one of the most
booming industries that always
supported the world even when
the pandemic hit it; thanks to its
bloodline, the leaders of lab supply
chain companies have always kept it
running. In the last few years, the
biotechnology industry has witnessed
digitalization and enhancement of
technology in its every code of conduct
as people are looking for an advanced
way of coxswaining everything.
The demand for digitalization in the
biotechnology supply sector is very
Natalie Bartlett
Chief of Staff

high as many are still following the
same outdated method of purchasing
lab supplies with catalogs, fax,
telephones, and so on, and buyers are
looking for a better alternative.
To fulfill this need of the
biotechnology industry, one of the
prominent leaders Natalie Bartlett, the
Chief at Staff of ZAGENO, has
worked very hard to solve many issues
through the company's in-depth
solutions. These include online
monthly spending data, comparison of
products, best alternatives, tracking
order status, etc., making the industry's
procedures extremely convenient.
Also, by eliminating various steps,
Natalie Bartlett has given her best to
save her client's time and money
potential by developing the company's
top services.
In the following interview, Natalie tells
us about the various challenges she
sailed through to provide ZAGENO's
clients with excellent services.
Following are the highlights of the
interview:
Give us a brief overview of your
journey through your role at
ZAGENO, and also tell us what
inspired you to venture into the
biotechnology sector.
I started working in venture capital and
focused on early-stage startups within
life sciences and software. Growing up
in a family of healthcare providers, this
was a good fit because I always had an
interest in the space. While at General
Catalyst, I sourced and invested in
ZAGENO, a startup reimagining life
sciences commerce with an initial
focus on R&D supplies.
I found myself intrigued by how
outdated purchasing products for lab
supplies was and how a team and
technology like ZAGENO's could help
solve this. I decided to roll up my
sleeves and help make a direct impact
on myself. My first role was as Chief
of Staff, but eventually, I moved to the
customer-facing side of the business.
Today, I work on ZAGENO's
enterprise business development team,
focusing on helping large pharma
organizations improve their research
efficiency when ordering supplies.
Tell us more about ZAGENO, its
vision, and the key aspects of its
stronghold in the global
biotechnology space.
ZAGENO's vision is to accelerate the
time between scientific milestones.
While simple to articulate, it is quite
complex in executing this vision. It
begins by completely rethinking the
industry's lifecycle, which begins with
identifying where other business
markets have successfully transformed,
modernized, and automated. We
sometimes take the kernel of other
innovations and customize them for
biotechnology.
Our interpretation of the well-
established subscriber model is
experienced through ZAGENO's
marketplace and services. Through it,
our subscribers benefit from various
unique advantages such as data on
historical spending, detailed product
comparisons, and alternatives to
products on backorder or with long
lead times.
At a high level, ZAGENO seeks to
democratize the buyer-seller
relationship through lab supplies - the
very lifeblood of scientific discovery.
Historically, this part of the industry
was dictated by manufacturers and
distributors. Without an alternative,
scientists had little choice but to accept
this status quo. But just as the
subscription economy has redefined the
buyer-seller relationship in consumer
markets, so is it changing these
relationships in biotechnology.
The future of the industry will be a
more harmonious one, equally dictated
by manufacturers and users. Because
ZAGENO provides a platform to
support this evolution, we are at the
epicenter of this change.
From the business development
perspective, what is your opinion on
the impact of the pandemic on the
biotech space? How did you aid your
organization to overcome the
challenges rooting from the
pandemic?
From ZAGENO's perspective, the
pandemic has divided the industry into
groups of haves and have nots. The
thing that is often overlooked is the
running cost of biotech, which can
range from $10,000-40,000 per day.
So, any downtime in productivity can
have profound business implications to
the bottom line.
COVID's impact on the supply chain
caused some labs to go dark and their
scientists to be furloughed. But
biotechs that subscribe to ZAGENO
benefit from access to a marketplace
At a high level,
ZAGENO is seeking
to democratize the
buyer-seller
relationship through
lab supplies - the very
lifeblood of scientific
discovery.

where they are able to forecast
accurately and manage supply levels
and face challenges like backorders
and extended lead times with suitable
alternatives to ensure labs remain open
and productive.
What is your opinion on the
necessity for biotech companies to
align their offerings with newer
technological developments,
especially when catering to the ever-
evolving healthcare needs?
While focusing on investing in early-
stage startups at the intersection of life
sciences and software at General
Catalyst, I witnessed the burgeoning of
startups looking to accelerate the drug
discovery process from R&D through
clinical and beyond.
In my opinion, the software has not
impacted the life sciences field in the
same way it has in other industries, so
the opportunity to accelerate the drug
discovery process (which today
averages ten years) through the use of
the software is immense.
For R&D purchasing in particular
(ZAGENO's focus), a vast majority of
research scientists are still purchasing
supplies in the same way consumers
purchased goods in the 1970s! They
are still phoning and faxing in orders
via paper catalogs. While today's
consumers can buy groceries in one
click and have them arrive the same
day, scientists spend 4-8 hours just
finding and purchasing supplies. If
technology can reduce wait times from
weeks to days and even hours, imagine
the savings potential, both in time and
money, of the drug development
process at large!
Through your role as Chief of Staff,
what efforts did you and your team
at ZAGENO take during the
pandemic to sustain operations and
ensure the safety of your employees
at the same time?
As you may imagine, the demand for
R&D supplies during COVID has been
immense. As our team transitioned to a
work-from-home setup, our order
volume simultaneously skyrocketed.
Personally speaking, I cannot imagine
starting a new role or even a first job
completely remote! But with half of
ZAGENO based in Berlin, we were
already accustomed to remote
collaboration through video meetings,
slack, and other web-based tools. To
further support a work-from-home
environment, our team also focused on
several initiatives, such as new daily
and weekly stand-up meetings.
We also provided our leadership with
resources for remote management and
guidelines for remote work to all
employees. To provide additional
support for new employees, we
established a buddy system so that new
hires had a dedicated ZAGENO alum
as a resource. For all employees,
ZAGENO also sent care packages to
ensure everyone had proper at-home
office and technology setups.
Despite a majority of ZAGENO never
having met one another, as a company,
we have been quite productive, which
is evidenced by a doubling in revenue
over the past year.
In your opinion, what could be the
future of the biotech sector post the
pandemic? And how are you
strategizing your organization's
operations for that future?

We have witnessed a few trends during
the pandemic for remote lab work,
which I believe will continue in the
future.
After the initial closure of research
labs, we saw that research scientists
began to return for critical work only,
splitting into teams to reduce risk and
performing all operational
management remotely.
It became even more critical that
supplies were there for research
scientists when they did spend time in
the lab, especially amidst an increase
in product backorder rates. I believe
that remote lab management will be a
long-lasting eﬀect of the pandemic,
even beyond just ordering supplies.
ZAGENO is strategizing its operations
to enhance these capabilities through
mobile optimization and integration
into inventory management solutions.
Meanwhile, our operations and
customer success teams are equipped
to support research scientists whether
they are at the bench or at home.
As an established leader, what would
be your advice to the entrepreneurs
aspiring to venture into the biotech
space?
For entrepreneurs looking to build
software companies in the life sciences
space, in particular, my biggest advice
would be to create a well-rounded team
with experience from both the life
sciences and software industries.
Given that startups in this space are
still emerging identifying and hiring
individuals with blended expertise is
quite challenging. However, there is
unique knowledge from both sides that
needs to be combined in order to build
a successful company, so instilling this
balance through your team from the
start as well as while you grow is
essential.
How do you envision contributing
towards the goal of sustaining your
company's stronghold in 2021?
I have recently taken on a role in
enterprise business development, with
a particular focus on enhancing their
purchasing experience for the
industry's largest pharmaceutical
companies.
In this time, I've witnessed the huge
trend happening across pharma R&D
to provide a superior user experience,
consolidate buying channels, and drive
digital adoption for both time savings
for research scientists and cost savings
for the research team at large.
Building supply and demand are
crucial to winning the market with any
new subscriber service (e.g., a
marketplace). I believe that working
with large pharma will not only drive
our stronghold within the market to
realize our company's full potential but
will also simultaneously bring
eﬃciency to the lengthy R&D drug
development process. It's a true win-
win, which aligns with ZAGENO's
greater mission to accelerate life
sciences.

10 most admirable women leaders in biotech for 2021

10 most admirable women leaders in biotech for 2021

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