Regulatory Consulting leader re-joins Parexel to provide expertise in Asia/Pacific

What is your background in clinical research?

I earned my master’s degree in chemical engineering from the National University in Singapore, where I studied mathematical modeling to predict a drug’s release in the human body. After I graduated, I worked for the regulatory body in China responsible for review of new drugs. I also worked for Novartis in China, where I was the key global adviser on regulatory chemistry, manufacturing and control (CMC) issues, and for BeiGene, an innovative oncology product development company where I prepared the first three drugs for regulatory submission. In 2015, Parexel approached me to do consulting work in Asia, where I helped with product development in and outside of China. I left Parexel to work for a company with SiRNA, a silencing technology that is an important new area in cell and gene therapy. Now I’ve brought all of this experience back to Parexel.

Why did you come back to Parexel?

It’s a great working environment and I had very good memories of the people at Parexel, especially the consulting team that helps and learns from each other. It’s satisfying to work with customers to help bring new drugs to patients.

Why did you choose a career in clinical research?

My father was a top geologist in China, and he always encouraged me to be a doctor. As a teenager, I respected my father but I didn’t want to listen to him. When I applied to college, I didn’t apply to medical school but instead I studied biochemical engineering. I think it’s a noble job because we are helping people to save lives by providing the tools doctors need to help patients.

At Parexel, we do everything With Heart^TM. What does this mean to you?

My inspiration is in helping our customers, so that they can help patients. With our knowledge and experience, we can help companies — including many biotech companies that don’t have much experience in drug development or regulatory processes — bring drugs to patients faster.

What is the biggest area of opportunity for Parexel in Asia?

In the past few years, biotech in Asia has experienced a very high growth rate. More new technology is available and regulatory environments are also evolving. As a result, our knowledge and expertise is valuable for biotech customers, especially in the cell and gene therapeutic area. I’ll be working with the many customers that want to bring their drugs to market in China and helping them determine which regulatory path is the best one. I’ll also help to expand the consulting business with biotech customers that have global ambitions but don’t have global presence. We will also work to share our expertise in new technology like real world data and decentralized clinical trials.