Penny Melquist

I am a scientist with a combined experience of over 25 years in biotechnology and clinical laboratories. In addition to being a scientist, I have also been an active member of several
organizations. Currently, I am the co-founder and President of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Oregon affiliate group where I collaborate with other women’s organizations and
the technical community to retain and increase the number of women in STEM. I am is also the recurring guest speaker for the live weekly radio show “Science Wednesdays” hosted by Global Women Social Enterprise (GWSE) on the HerStoryToo platform where I discuss topics and answers questions
as the resident science expert. I have also held memberships in the following:
-Association for Women in Science
-500 Women Scientists
-American Association of University Women (AAUW)
-Coalition for the Advancement of Women Chemists (COACh)
-Invitrogen’s Women Initiative Network (iWin)
-Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Women’s Employee Resource Group (WERG)
-Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Science Innovation Nation
-Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Community Action Council
-Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Mentor Program

I have worked in the Life Sciences industry as a research and development scientist for over two decades with my main emphasis on the development of new products and technologies within the Cellular Detection Technology division at Thermo Fisher Scientific. I led the development of several high-profile and first to market products that serve both the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Throughout my career I have attended several conferences and been directly responsible for:
• 25 seminars
• 15 posters
• 4 patents
• 1 paper

I currently work in the Business Development segment at NemaMetrix, a biotechnology startup that specializes in creating custom C. elegans and Zebrafish genome-edited animals.