My name is Laura and I am a biomedical engineer in Spain. My early career path wasn’t straightforward. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, I faced a common challenge for job seekers in Madrid—limited industry opportunities in a market dominated by distributors rather than manufacturers. This lack of opportunities led me to pursue my Master’s degree in Ireland, with a focus on product design and biomedical engineering research and development (R&D).
Navigating change during the COVID pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic threw my carefully laid plans into disarray. When everything started shutting down, I decided to return to Spain due to concerns about family members with delicate health conditions and travel restrictions. This unexpected move forced me to completely reimagine my career path.
Finding my place at Radiometer
I decided to pursue a career as a Field Service Engineer (FSE) to help customers fix issues with their medical instruments. I initially applied for a role with Danaher at a different Operating Company, but that didn’t work out. However, the recruiter recommended that I apply for an FSE position with Radiometer. During the interview with my future manager, we instantly connected on our vision and approach—a connection that would prove invaluable as I started my job at Radiometer.
Breaking ground as an early professional Field Service Engineer
Being the only female FSE in Spain and Portugal came with a unique set of challenges. Starting this role at a much younger age than the other FSEs, I often faced skepticism due to my lack of experience. Customers would watch me work and sometimes ask, “Are you sure you can put this back together?” These moments taught me to handle doubt with confidence and professionalism.
Growing into leadership
Four years later, I have progressed in my career from FSE to Area Manager, overseeing central and northern Spain, as well as the Catalonia region, while also leading a new call center project. What drives me? Two things: the satisfaction of fixing broken equipment and knowing that my work impacts patient care through medical diagnostics.
Working at Radiometer
What sets Radiometer apart is its culture. Seeing colleagues stay here for 30-40 years speaks volumes about the company. Our Spanish team operates like a family, making even the toughest days manageable. When you work with people you genuinely care about, it transforms the entire experience.
Advice for future FSEs
The FSE role isn’t for everyone. It requires a flexible schedule, as you don’t have a 9-to-5 job, the ability to adapt to the varied challenges of fieldwork and strong stress management skills. Success here is about having the right personality and attitude, embracing challenges and finding practical solutions.
Looking forward
There are excellent opportunities to develop your career at Radiometer. My own journey from FSE to Area Manager demonstrates the potential for advancement available here. And I have seen colleagues grow both within the company and throughout the Danaher enterprise. As long as you possess dedication, adaptability, and eagerness to learn and grow professionally, opportunities will be available.
Looking back, the unexpected changes during the COVID-19 pandemic led me exactly where I needed to be. Sometimes the best opportunities come disguised as challenges, and I’m grateful for every step of my journey at Radiometer. For those considering this path, remember that the right attitude and determination can open doors you never expected.
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The idea of mRNA therapy was conceived decades before it became a reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, mRNA vaccines have emerged as a powerful tool against new viral infections, mainly due to their versatility and rapid development. Nate Russart, Associate Director at Aldevron (a Danaher business), explains his excitement about advancing mRNA therapies from development to the clinic.
Nate Russart, Principal Scientist, R&D, Aldevron
What attracted you to the job opportunity at Aldevron?
Before joining Aldevron, headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, my wife and I were living in another state. When our daughter was born, we decided we would prefer to be near family to help with childcare. My wife was originally from Fargo, and I was looking for an R&D role. Aldevron was rapidly growing and had recently set up its R&D group, so it was a great fit.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role.
I’m involved in developing technology to offer new platforms, products and processes around DNA for Aldevron. Much of my work is involved in science but I also work cross-functionally with other departments to ensure that our advancements fit into the business needs of both Aldevron and our customers.
Aldevron: Innovative Manufacturing Dedicated to Cell and Gene Therapy
Aldevron is a premier manufacturing partner providing critical nucleic acids and proteins used to make gene and cell therapies, gene editing technologies, DNA and RNA vaccines. Its custom development and manufacturing services give scientists around the world the essential components to accelerate their research and develop revolutionary treatments for millions of people.
For more than 20 years, Aldevron’s industry-leading technology and expertise has supported thousands of innovations, including the linearized DNA template for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Developing cell and gene therapies poses unique challenges, with complex manufacturing and regulatory landscapes. Since the beginning, Aldevron has supported these developments, putting its experience to work to help over 1,000 clients make their possibilities a reality.
What does your day-to-day work look like?
At this point in my career, I primarily oversee the work of other scientists, so I meet with my team to review data, plan for next steps, prioritize tasks and provide guidance around technical aspects of experiments. I also often assist on customer calls as a subject matter expert.
Why do you enjoy working for a leading science and technology company?
It’s exciting to be part of new breakthroughs while they are happening. In addition, through our patient advocacy initiatives, we get to see firsthand the impact our therapies make. Aldevron is not just creating products for people to enjoy—we’re helping to save lives or make lives better.
Are there any career highlights that are particularly meaningful to you?
I’m very proud of playing a key role in the development of the Alchemy cell-free DNA technology, which just launched in January (2025). I focused on creating new ways to improve the quality or reduce the cost of cell-free DNA while ensuring stakeholders get high-quality and timely DNA for their research programs. Instead of producing DNA through a traditional e. coli-based workflow, we developed a cleaner enzymatic process to produce the same material.
It’s not every day you get to take something from an idea in the lab to a service being extended to customers. It’s been very exciting to see this work go from initial ideas to a launched product.
Nate training for his fourth marathon—this one as part of the Emily Whitehead Foundation team. The foundation supports innovative childhood cancer treatments, such as CAR-T therapies, which are developed by many Aldevron customers.
Why do you think others in your field would enjoy a job at Aldevron?
At Aldevron our clients are always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in cell and gene therapy. This is a very exciting field that’s progressing quickly through the explosion of mRNA vaccines during the pandemic and now gaining momentum in the approval of many cell and gene therapies.
Today, 15 commercial cell and gene therapy programs rely on Aldevron products and services. Working at Aldevron, we get a front-row seat to see these innovative programs advance to the clinic.
How has working for Aldevron and Danaher helped you grow?
I was lucky to join Aldevron during a period of rapid growth and have had the opportunity to grow along with it. Using Danaher Business System (DBS) tools has enabled me to expand beyond just technical details and learn how to actively manage projects. For example, the Technology Development Process and Daily Management have given me the tools to more effectively track projects and deliver on established timelines.
Nate’s Interviewing Tips
When Nate interviewed at Aldevron, the job description mentioned mRNA production through IVT. While Nate didn’t have any experience in producing mRNA, he did some research on it—which he found very interesting—and ended up discussing it quite a bit during the interview. Without doing that research, Nate isn’t sure whether or not he would have been offered the job. Here are few more tips from Nate:
Apply quickly. For entry-level roles, we see lots of applications come in very quickly and we move into the screening process very soon after. If you wait several weeks to apply, the candidate selection process has likely already begun.
Educate yourself. Try to understand and be able to discuss what’s going on in the industry (as much as possible). Do some research and bring your questions to the interview. This demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and are willing to educate yourself.
Study the job posting and be able to talk about everything listed in it. It’s okay if you don’t have experience in everything, but you can show the interviewer that you’ve prepared for the interview and are able to learn new things.
Always ask questions. Prepare some ahead of time. This shows that you want to understand the position, which will enable you to do your job better.
Show personality. While the interviewer is trying to understand how well your education and experience will fit for the position, they will also want to know how well you will fit with the team and how enjoyable you will be to work with.
How have you benefited from Danaher’s global footprint and multi-business structure?
We have a number of collaborations with other Danaher businesses, such as IDT and Cytiva, which would not be possible in a traditional organization. As Aldevron continues on its journey to implement DBS tools, I’m able to see how the other businesses make the most of these tools. By being able to speak the language of DBS, I am well-suited to explore opportunities at other Danaher businesses if I decide to pursue something different.
What does the future hold for your career?
I am transitioning into a director role soon, which means I will continue to work at a higher-level, coordinating cross-functional teams to bring new products and services to Aldevron. My focus will shift to longer-range planning and shaping strategy instead of the near-term technical questions that my current team focuses on.
What advice would you give potential candidates considering a role at Aldevron?
If you like working in a culture that’s centered on continuous improvement and want to be at the forefront of exciting and promising new therapies that impact human health, this is the place for you.
Work-life balance is important for everyone. Considering your growing responsibilities, how do you maintain that?
I do my best to keep work at work—and Aldevron supports that goal. When I am at home, my focus is on family, my two young children, so I stick to a work schedule between the hours I drop off and pick up my kids. While in the office, I try to utilize my time as efficiently as possible and prioritize urgent tasks above those that can wait. After hours, I also enjoy running—I’m currently training for my next marathon in Fargo, North Dakota, in May of this year.
After many years off, Nate ran the NY Marathon in 2024 (personally raising $8,000 for the Emily Whitehead Foundation) and is currently training for the Fargo Marathon.Nate, his wife, 3-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, whose basketball team he coaches.
Do you see any parallels between running marathons and your work at Aldevron?
Perseverance, for sure. Our work on the cell-free DNA process has taken a long time. It was important to stay focused on that finish line and trust that we would get there.
