Wed Feb 12 07:03:33 UTC 2025: ## From Wisconsin Dairy Farm to Amgen VP: Scientist’s Journey Driven by Curiosity and Mentorship
**Thousand Oaks, CA** – Suzanne Edavettal, Amgen’s Vice President of Research focused on large molecule discovery, has an inspiring story that highlights the power of perseverance, mentorship, and a passion for science. Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, Edavettal’s early life instilled in her a strong work ethic, but her fascination with science ultimately led her on a different path.
Despite lacking traditional scientific role models, Edavettal’s curiosity and drive propelled her through dual enrollment programs, undergraduate studies at Beloit College, and a PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she discovered her love for proteins. This passion, coupled with a desire to improve patient care, led her to a career in pharmaceutical drug discovery.
At Amgen, Edavettal leads a team focused on leveraging AI and machine learning to accelerate the development of protein therapeutics. Under her leadership, the team has tripled its speed and doubled its success rate in developing therapeutic molecules, largely due to the adoption of predictive machine learning and generative AI.
Edavettal emphasizes the importance of mentorship and creating a supportive environment for her team. She credits her own success to the encouragement she received throughout her career and is dedicated to paying it forward, supporting the next generation of scientists. She advocates for authenticity and open communication, encouraging her team to ask questions and embrace failure as a learning opportunity.
Edavettal’s journey is a remarkable example of how a strong work ethic, coupled with a passion for science and a commitment to mentorship, can lead to groundbreaking achievements in the pharmaceutical industry. Her success at Amgen showcases the transformative potential of AI in drug development and highlights the importance of fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.
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