Tag: Marketing

  • Empowering Scientists to Rewrite the Code of Life: Meet Bahri Karacay, PhD  

    Empowering Scientists to Rewrite the Code of Life: Meet Bahri Karacay, PhD  

    Over the past decade, CRISPR has taken life sciences and the biomedical world by storm for its ability to easily and precisely edit DNA. Today at Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) (a Danaher company), Bahri Karacay, PhD, Sr. Manager, Product Marketing Gene Writing and Editing, applies himself to advancing this innovative technology, both for research and therapeutic applications. Not only is this work his passion, it’s also his way of helping Danaher innovate at the speed of life.  

    Dr. Karacay in a white hallway standing in front of a sign that says "Lab to Life-changing advances. We'll help."
    Dr. Karacay at IDT’s Therapeutic Oligonucleotide Manufacturing facility. 

    Tell us a bit about your background. 

    Originally from Türkiye, I came to the US for graduate school. I received my PhD from The Ohio State University and did part of my postdoctoral work at Nationwide Children’s Research Institute in Columbus. After my lab moved, I completed my postdoctoral work at the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine. I continued after finishing my postdoc as a research scientist in its Child Neurology Division.  

    What drew you to IDT initially? 

    As a research professor at the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine and a long-standing customer of IDT, I knew IDT and its solutions very well. I was always curious about working in the life sciences industry, so when I was ready to make the switch from academia to industry, IDT was the first logical place to start.    

    What does your current role entail?

    Currently, I lead a product marketing team for the Gene Writing and Editing product portfolio. That includes CRISPR genome editing products and services, both for research and therapeutic applications, as well as gene regulation and synthetic biology products that are mainly for research applications. In simplest terms, we empower scientists to rewrite the code of life through strategic marketing, data-driven insights, and engaging educational content. 

    What does your day-to-day work look like? 

    My day-to-day work is dynamic, revolving around strategy, collaboration and execution. I develop marketing strategies and tactics to drive the success of our portfolio, focusing on customer-centric messaging and market trends. Leading a talented team, I provide guidance and support on various projects. Additionally, I serve on cross-functional teams to bring innovative products and services to market. 

    Since last year, I’ve also enjoyed supporting cross-company initiatives between IDT and Aldevron, another Danaher business. Together, we work towards delivering impactful solutions for customers in the cell and gene therapy space, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) manufacturing and Research Use Only (RUO)-to-CGMP workflows. My work is a blend of strategic thinking, creativity, science, and teamwork—making every day exciting and fulfilling. 

    Dr. Karacay at the University of Iowa

    Since you’ve been with IDT, what are some of your most memorable moments? 

    One of the most memorable moments was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for IDT’s state-of-the-art therapeutic oligonucleotide manufacturing (TOM) facility in October 2023. This marked a major milestone for IDT, as it represented our entry into therapeutic space. Until then, we had primarily supported our customers in the discovery phase of their research. With the opening of the TOM facility, we now offer a comprehensive end-to-end workflow solution—from bench to bedside. 

    This achievement was particularly meaningful to me as a former scientist with firsthand experience in gene therapy. I had conducted research focused on developing therapies for two devastating conditions: neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer of the nervous system typically diagnosed before age five, and Alexander Disease, a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that most commonly strikes in the first decade of life. 

    Why are you inspired and excited by CRISPR technology?

    CRISPR technology has already revolutionized scientific research, and its impact is now transforming medicine as well. With the first CRISPR-based therapies having been approved in December 2024 both in Europe and the United States, we are witnessing the rapid evolution of the technology from research tool to life-saving treatment modality. From groundbreaking cancer treatments to innovative therapies for genetic diseases, CRISPR’s potential seems limitless.  

    How is your career as a part of Danaher accelerating the power of science and technology to improve human health?

    Though I am no longer directly involved in gene therapy research, I feel as though I am still walking side by side with the scientists who are striving for the same life-changing goals. Developing gene therapies for diseases was my passion and purpose, and now, with CRISPR genome editing making that dream a reality, I am proud to continue contributing by enabling scientists with IDT products and resources. 

    What are some of your interests outside of work?

    I’m the founder and lead singer of TURKANA, a band comprised of Turkish and American musicians performing Turkish folk and pop music. I’m also a popular science writer, podcaster and the author of two bestsellers: “The Secret of Life DNA” and “Happy Brain”. My favorite pastime activities are making music and skiing. 

    Four men playing instruments in front of a small crowd.
    Dr. Karacay’s band TURKANA is comprised of professors from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. They play Turkish pop and folk tunes, as well as some of Dr. Karacay’s original compositions, at festivals, concerts, cultural events and radio programs.

    Why do you think other people in your field would enjoy a job at IDT or another Danaher company?  

    IDT and other Danaher life sciences companies are great places to work for anyone passionate about advancing science and human health. With Danaher’s promise of ‘innovation at the speed of life’ and IDT’s focus on ‘Accelerating the pace of genomics,’ we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.  

    Initiatives like the IGI Beacon Program, which aims to expand access to CRISPR technologies, and partnerships that improve genome-editing precision, highlight our impact on global challenges. Associates at IDT or other Danaher life sciences companies benefit from cutting-edge tools, a collaborative culture, and opportunities to grow professionally, making it an ideal environment for those driven to shape the future of science and health. I’ve seen the work we do here and it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of it. 

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  • Innovation Beyond the Lab: Maria’s Unconventional Path from Chemistry Scientist to Marketer

    Innovation Beyond the Lab: Maria’s Unconventional Path from Chemistry Scientist to Marketer

    My name is Maria Sanz Rodriquez and I am a Marketing Manager at Radiometer. My career path is not the traditional one you would imagine. I started my career as a chemistry scientist, doing research in academia – along the way, I developed new skills that led to a career change in marketing and sales.

    From Lab Coats to Marketing

    As a scientist, I was always interested in the clinical aspects of chemistry and as a result, decided to specialize in laboratory medicine. In Spain, coming from a science-based background, you can choose one of four laboratory specialties; I chose laboratory clinical biochemistry. I started working in a hospital and had my first contact with analyzers. When I finished my specialization at the hospital, Radiometer asked if I was interested in joining the Iberian Radiometer team. The rest is history. 

    Now, years later, I am a marketing manager at Radiometer. I love my job because it allows me to explore my passion for growth and development – for businesses, people, and myself. 

    Did I expect to work in a global diagnostic technology company when I started my career as a scientist? Definitely not. But I’ve found many opportunities for personal growth, high-quality products and community within a global team.

    The Power of Seizing Opportunities

    As time passed, I realized that a job at Radiometer is not just a one-time proposition. You get a development plan and work with your manager towards your goals. And because we are part of a larger organization, Danaher, you become part of a global community inside and outside Radiometer. I have close connections with colleagues from around the world. And honestly, I am proud to sell Radiometer products because they are the best on the market.

    Improvement is what motivates me. And not just business-related improvement but (maybe even more) related to people management and development. I want to work to support the business and my people. I make a habit of asking myself: “How can I support my team? Can I share knowledge? Can I have another one-to-one meeting with someone to check in and improve their current situation?”

    Anyone can change their career path, but I think I could take the journey I am on because I learned how to see opportunities; this is a skill that anyone can learn.

    You cannot wait for things to happen to you. The chance that someone offers you your dream job out of the blue is extremely low. You must raise your hand and speak up when you’re ready to take on the next challenge and continue learning. And you need to ask yourself from time to time: What do you want to do in your future career?

    Continuous Improvement: Applying Business Principles in Life

    I call it improvement, but at Radiometer and Danaher we call it continuous improvement. Danaher Business System (DBS) is the foundation on which we build lean manufacturing. And honestly, I love the DBS. When I started using DBS, I thought it was just about numbers. Now I understand why we use it – why we think strategically and learn new tools and processes.

    Believe it or not, I even apply DBS tools at home with my kids. When their grades were slipping, I called for a meeting and used visual management and problem-solving tools to help them see the problem and create a step-by-step solution. This is just one example of how DBS adds value and can be helpful in many ways.

    Interested in joining Maria and the rest of the Radiometer team? Check out open roles across Danaher or join our talent community today.

  • Impact and Belonging: How Ankita Rege Found Work She Loves in a Culture of Safety

    Impact and Belonging: How Ankita Rege Found Work She Loves in a Culture of Safety

    From studying engineering to running regional marketing for HemoCue India, Ankita Rege has found her passion in work that serves her community in point-of-care blood diagnostics. Below, she discusses the immense potential of helping users both directly and indirectly and how a heavy workload feels manageable in a trusting and supportive workplace where she has the psychological safety to say “no.”

    Tell us about your role. What do you work on day to day?

    I work as Marketing Manager for HemoCue India. It is quite a comprehensive role as there are multiple facets to it and it’s not limited to the strategic marketing plans, which form the core of the role. It also expands to handling communications, annual plans layout, fulfilling tender requirements, customer support, updating literature and so on, at a regional level. Connecting internally with the sales team and externally with the customers frequently helps me get the real-time market pulse. The sales team is the center of HemoCue, and they help with real-time and new information updates, which in turn helps us stay ahead of the curve.

    Our systems appear very simple, but we have a complex customer segment. We have a hematology portfolio and a diabetic portfolio. It’s very broad and one must reinvent new opportunities every time. It’s not always a duplication. The anemia and diabetes markets are huge, and awareness is still at its nascent stage with a lot to be done across the world. Working with government bodies, understanding the common vision, and presenting HemoCue’s solutions have now become routine.

    So, it’s interesting. It’s sometimes tough; it’s a big task, but I thoroughly enjoy it as I get to learn a lot each day.

    What brought you to HemoCue?

    Having completed my basic education in engineering, I joined the Medical Devices industry, firstly in servicing and then gradually moved into sales. As a freshly graduated engineer, I had ambitions to be part of inventing, modifying and redesigning instruments, machines, etc. as well as be a part of the change process. Although India is now developing into a reasonable R&D hub, back then the industry was mostly into promotion and maintenance. 

    I got opportunities to work with Fortune 500 companies, which helped me build my basic understanding of the market. I enjoyed those roles where I had the opportunity to travel to new places – meeting new and different personalities, providing them with solutions and helping them achieve excellence in their endeavors. However, I was mostly executing the strategies and providing real-time solutions.

    I enrolled myself in an international MBA course in Boston, Massachusetts and when I came back home, I started working in the marketing domain.

    When I started working in healthcare, I realized there’s immense potential to touch people’s lives directly and indirectly. I, as an individual, feel so much for other human beings irrespective of their status. With HemoCue, I thought I was actually making a difference in the lives of people and society at large. Compared to my past marketing stint with aesthetic healthcare, I feel that my current role adds direct value and more people benefit. Here I am at HemoCue, working for a real need in healthcare, solving someone’s problem. That really makes me feel proud to be associated with HemoCue.

    In addition to helping people, what else keeps you at HemoCue?

    What matters a lot is the culture, the people. HemoCue has an amazing culture, and the best part is you can be yourself. To work is one thing, right? You can get overwhelmed with work, which is perfectly fine. You’ll still learn to manage with the experience you gain. At HemoCue, we have a great set of teams driven by trust and respect toward each other, so that’s what keeps me here. I enjoy it and there’s absolute openness and freedom to be yourself here. I can vouch for this and with amazing leaders it makes it worth it.

    There are a lot of people who have been here for a long time, so there is a good bond and trust among people, which is essential. Trust is the core that cannot be compromised. Respect for each other, for who you are, irrespective of the cadre or role is crucial. There are times when you agree and disagree on something, which is fine as long as you can justify why. There have been situations when an activity or an engagement has been proposed and I felt comfortable and candid enough to say, “I don’t see how this is going to help.”

    My manager gives me the psychological safety to say “no,” which is very critical. If I’m just being pressured to execute, and I can’t do my work wholeheartedly, it is no fun whatsoever. Here, I have the freedom to speak my mind. If it’s rational and justifiable, it will be considered. There have been times when I was convinced my “no” should be reconsidered, and this was only possible through respectable constructive dialogues. And I would like to praise my manager, he’s extremely humble, reachable and has almost zero ego. There is no apprehension, there’s no fear. You feel very liberated. Being heard is important.

    Here at HemoCue India, we are, to a great extent, contributing to the government’s vision of eradicating anemia. We’re touching lives by testing and addressing this area, which plays a big part. I feel good about what HemoCue is, directly and indirectly, able to add to people’s lives, and that makes me feel satisfied with being an HemoCue associate.

    Does this tie into how you’re able to be comfortable as a woman on a leadership team that’s particularly male-dominant?

    Definitely. I’ve never gotten those indications, or been made to feel I’m the only woman, or I’m the minority. I’ve never had that kind of incident. Since my background is in engineering, I’ve always been in the ratio of something like 60 boys and 4 girls in a classroom, so that’s been a standard for me. However, irrespective of gender, I think one has to see through the lens of capability rather than anything else.

    There are still organizations that are very autocratic. HemoCue is certainly not. But we’re in an era when the days of total control are gone. Even parenting has changed. We’re not in an era when somebody else would decide things for us. There’s no hierarchical binding here at HemoCue. There are so many organizations out there that follow hierarchy and follow egos. But here it isn’t so. And it means there’s no micromanagement.

    What excites you about the future?

    The future looks bright and promising, there is lots to do and new opportunities to explore. There is a subtle responsibility for people who work in healthcare. If we can give them the right tools and support, they can change the direction of the industry, and the next generations of mankind will benefit.

    At a personal level, I believe I can stand out as a leader globally as well. I look forward to higher responsibilities within or outside the region and, most importantly, I believe HemoCue-Danaher has the right approach and opportunities for their employees.

  • Believing in the Power of Teamwork: How Monika Gram Ritter is Taking on HemoCue’s Global Marketing Opportunities

    Believing in the Power of Teamwork: How Monika Gram Ritter is Taking on HemoCue’s Global Marketing Opportunities

    Despite two advanced degrees in business management, Monika Gram Ritter didn’t initially see herself going into leadership. A decade and a half later, she is at the helm of HemoCue’s global marketing efforts and reinvigorating the scope of her team’s impact. Her secret? Combining a strong focus on teamwork and development while setting clear goals.

    Tell us about your role. What does your day-to-day look like?

    I’m the Senior Director of Global Marketing for HemoCue, a Danaher operating company (OpCo) within the diagnostics platform. We focus on serving caregivers in decentralized healthcare settings with point-of-care tests, which enable healthcare providers to make treatment decisions during patient visits. I manage the global marketing team and the three teams within it: Digital and Market Communications, Up – and downstream Product marketing as well as marketing intelligence and strategic innovation. I really enjoy the challenge of an executive leadership (L1) role and the authority that comes with it.

    Monika Gram Ritter

    My everyday work is extensive, but I am mindful of work-life balance and not the least, signal to my team that their well-being is important to me. My duties vary broadly from developing the long-term strategy for HemoCue and helping to drive key commercial and strategic initiatives, to working on how we improve standard work for delivering on marketing deliverables. Today, for example, I had four one-on-one meetings with team members to review the status of different marketing programs and initiatives while also preparing work for our upcoming company strategy process. Since we are one of the smaller Operating Companies, I also do a lot of hands-on tasks—but I am not afraid of taking on the details with my team.

    In my early days as a marketer, I did an enormous amount of traveling and the many voice of customer visits in different countries related to various projects became a great learning, not just for the projects but for me as a marketeer. Listening to customers is very much in the Danaher DNA. Now that I’m in a leadership role, I’m still focused on learning. What have we learned since last year? What’s changing with competition? What’s changing in the market? We work with several data sources, and we’re still out there talking to customers and other players in our industry. I want us to drive strategy based on real information. It’s especially meaningful to do this work in the MedTech field because we know we’re making a difference in people’s lives.

    You were at Radiometer for 15 years before you came to lead Marketing at HemoCue. Why did you make the move?

    Constant learning has always been a driving factor for me. Of course, I want to succeed in my current role, but I like the journey and expanding my capabilities just as much. And I felt that this role would be a great new learning experience. At Radiometer I worked closely with members of the executive leadership (L1) team for several years, which inspired and prepared me to become an L1 member myself. Although I am a great believer in teamwork and leveraging the skills of my full team, in the end, I’m the one that has to make and own the final decisions for the marketing function. Knowing that, at the end of the day, all of this is my responsibility, has been a great challenge—and one I really enjoy.

    Even though I have years of relevant experience, I haven’t always seen myself as a leader. I grew up doing team sports and took the role as captain several times, but it wasn’t until I was getting my executive MBA that I realized that leadership might be the right path for me. Feedback from my peers highlighted that leadership seemed like a natural strength for me. I realized I didn’t have to be the stereotype in my head of what a leader had to be. I really care about developing people, and positive feedback from my teams has just inspired me to continue the leadership journey even more.

    How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

    I believe in working as a team to achieve goals, and I also believe in personal responsibility. I always want to be able to fully trust my team members. That doesn’t mean I won’t follow up and make sure things are getting done, but people thrive so much more when they are trusted. No one likes being micromanaged. Often, if I find myself having to be too supervisory, it’s a sign that the person is struggling for another reason. It’s up to me to find the underlying cause and help fix it.

    There’s no template or model for being the best leader because we’re all different. Of course, there are some principles to follow, but those need to be integrated with a leader’s personality. The most important thing, I would say, is understanding that leadership is about developing people and involving the team, not about getting more stripes on your uniform. I’ve seen wonderful colleagues struggle with leadership because they couldn’t let go of the notion that it was about their own career.

    I believe in working as a team to achieve goals, and I also believe in personal responsibility.

    Monika Gram Ritter

    Leadership, like life, is about getting your priorities straight. An employee once said to me that it’s obvious that I’m ambitious and want us to deliver well, but that the team knows I also care about their well-being and our collective success. Actually, my daughter recently said something similar, too. “You always have a lot to do,” she said, “but it’s crystal clear that we are your main priority even when you work hard.” I’m very proud of that.

    What are some of the key challenges you’re taking on right now?

    When you’re on the L1 team, you have to find the right balance of representing and standing behind your own functional area and staying dedicated to solving cross-functional challenges for the company.

    In general, taking a next step up in leadership requires taking up your space, and having the courage to challenge others. I’ve had to find ways to stand up for me and for my team—maybe in a more direct way that’s less natural to me, but without compromising who I am.

    The HemoCue Marketing team has been through quite a lot of changes, but we’ve got a great team with people who have been here long and new colleagues that make a great addition to the team, and I believe we’re on the right track. As a leader, I’m working with my direct reports to take the marketing team to the next level and in a different direction. One major challenge has been pacing ourselves. We get requests coming from other departments, of course, and we need to remember that we can’t succeed if we’re trying to fulfill everyone’s wishes. I’m not afraid of making tough decisions when they need to be made, such as prioritizing or saying no if it means we are then delivering on the key priorities we committed to.

    Overall, my key challenge is reinvigorating the team while simultaneously ensuring people feel involved and are part of the journey. We’ve been finding a balance, taking our work to a new level while not rocking the boat too much. I’m proud of how far we’ve come.

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