Sarah O'connell
About Sarah O'connell
Sarah O'Connell serves as the Director of Analytical Development at Sirnaomics, where she manages various aspects of drug product development. She has extensive experience in assay validation and biophysical characterization, having previously held positions at the National Institutes of Health and Meso Scale Discovery.
Current Role at Sirnaomics
Sarah O'Connell serves as the Director of Analytical Development at Sirnaomics, a position she has held since 2022. In this role, she manages chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) for drug products, as well as pharmacokinetic (PK) and anti-drug antibody (ADA) assay development. O'Connell supervises up to 15 international and domestic contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) and contract research organizations (CROs) for analytical work. She has led a strategic transfer of the company's entire portfolio to a new platform, which improved data accuracy and reduced project costs by 50%.
Experience at The National Institutes of Health
O'Connell has extensive experience at The National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she worked in various capacities from 2014 to 2022. She served as Manager and Scientific Lead for Clinical Assay Development and Support from 2018 to 2021, and as Director of Advanced Clinical Testing from 2021 to 2022. During her tenure, she successfully validated over 35 assays according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) criteria, managing 11 contract sites across three countries. Additionally, she contributed to the biophysical characterization of siRNA protein nanoparticle products.
Educational Background
O'Connell holds a Master of Science (MS) in Biotechnology with a concentration in Regulatory Affairs from The Johns Hopkins University. She also studied Biophysics at the University of Maryland, where she achieved a graduate degree. Her undergraduate studies were completed at Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Biology. This educational background has provided her with a strong foundation in both scientific principles and regulatory frameworks.
Previous Work Experience
Before her roles at NIH and Sirnaomics, O'Connell worked as a Research Associate at Meso Scale Discovery from 2007 to 2011. Her experience in analytical development and clinical testing spans over a decade, with a focus on assay validation and biophysical characterization. This diverse background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the analytical development landscape in the biotechnology sector.