Adriana Manzi

Adriana Manzi, Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, has over 25 years of experience in biomolecules research and development.  She is President and Principal Consultant of Manzi & Associates where her consulting work has spun the areas of recombinant proteins, dendritic cell vaccines, biosimilars, analytical methods, CMC, and selection and management of CMOs.

Adriana was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was the only child of Elsa, a housekeeper, and Ricardo, an accountant, both second generation Argentinians from Northern Italian families. From early age, Adriana was constantly learning something new, from sawing to painting to English to international politics.

>>  I’ll be talking with Adriana about how her childhood experiences influenced her career path, and what early influences were important to her.

Adriana’s parents and grandparents instilled in her strong ethical principles, the value of hard work and the need to take responsibility for one’s actions. Her family lived a simple life in a large cosmopolitan city. Adriana attended an all-girl Catholic school from kindergarten through high school where she was always at the very top of her class, and valedictorian when she graduated.

Adriana was only eight years old when she decided she would become a chemist, although politics was a close contender and she also enjoyed fine arts.

>>  How did Adriana know she wanted to be a chemist and was it difficult for her to commit to and stay with this professional decision?

By the time she finished high school, it was required that applicants take a full year course to be admitted to the University of Buenos Aires, a free public university. The limited spots offered for admission were filled with the students who received the top grades. Adriana was admitted at her first try and enrolled in the Chemistry program. She received a BS in Chemistry and MS in Food Sciences and Industrial Chemistry in 1978.

Those years were not without challenges. Argentina was suffering a military dictatorship of very dark consequences. The universities were under strict control and in one occasion, the government decided to close the university to avoid turmoil.  Students were left to just wait and see what would happen with no indication of when the universities would reopen.

>>  What did Adriana learn from her years at the university in Argentina, and what insights does she have about the process?

Adriana got married and had her first baby, Pablo, while finishing her Master’s degree. Soon after, she started the graduate program in Organic Chemistry.  In 1981, a baby girl was born, Marina, and challenges duplicated!  But, with determination and the values of hard work and discipline learned in early childhood, Adriana earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (suma cum laude) in 1984.

>>  I’ll be asking Adriana about how she combined her work and family life and if she has tips for us…

Adriana obtained a scholarship from the National Research Council of Argentina and moved with her family to San Diego in 1986 to become a Visiting Scholar at the Cancer Center of the University of California, San Diego.

After three years of this scholarship and one year of fellowship from the State of California, she returned with her family to Argentina. The country was suffering again of political and economical instability and the position promised to her upon her return could not be granted due to a hiring freeze. Adriana returned to her old teaching position at the university while applying to different job opportunities in the US.

In 1991, she moved her family back to San Diego and became an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Glycobiology Core at the University of California, San Diego.

>>  What different activities was she responsible for in her work, and what differences were there in her positions in the U.S. and in Argentina?

In 1998, Adriana moved to the private sector, first as Assistant Director of Analytical Development for Cytel, and then as Director of Analytical Development and QC for Nextran.
In 2001, she became a Director of Research for Baxter Healthcare Corporation. While she stayed in San Diego – taking care of her ailing mother - Adriana’s laboratory was in Illinois, where she traveled every other week. She led a team providing global support on the analysis of biomolecules and spent a great deal of time traveling through the US and EU.  Adriana was promoted to Senior Director of Research in 2003 becoming the first woman to hold such position in the technical track.

>>  How did Adriana decide to transition to the private sector, and was was both easy and difficult about the change?

In parallel, Adriana has been an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Chemistry of San Diego State University and had taught courses for IBC International, the FDA and UCSD extension.

She is a member of several professional associations to which she has contributed actively as Committee member or Chair; she has participated in NIH review groups, and organized national and international symposia.

Adriana has published 29 original research articles, 20 book chapters and three magazine articles and has mentored many scientists.

>>  How does Adriana choose her outside activities, and which ones has she found the most beneficial?

In 2006, Adriana decided to test her entrepreneurial spirit starting a consulting business, Manzi & Associates. She has built a successful organization focusing on advising early stage biopharmaceutical companies on product development.

Adriana enjoys spending time in L.A. with her daughter, now a lawyer, and in New Jersey with her son, a software engineer, and daughter-in-law. She is still into politics as well as fine and performing arts.