The Alumni Engagement Speaker Series welcomes distinguished Wildcats to share innovative research, career path, and more. The first installment was on September 12, 2023.
Presentation Summary: UNH Chemistry alumnus Dr. Michelle Garnsey ('07 B.S.) discussed her research and career working in Pharmaceutical Industry (Pfizer). Michelle showed how a drug candidate was designed, synthesized, and evaluated in multiple iterations to achieve the desired properties. She also shared her perspectives on the stages of drug discovery and decision making in the R&D division of the pharmaceutical industry. She had Q&A sessions with students and provided valuable insight on research and career.
Left: Michelle doing undergraduate research in the Miller lab. Middle: Professional headshot from her work at Pfizer. Right: Michelle receiving the UNH mug from graduate student Ian Ferraro (Anyin Li group) right before a career Q&A session with Chemistry students.
Michelle Garnsey graduated in 2007 from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. After PhD and Post-doctoral training, she joined Pfizer as a medicinal chemist in 2014. Michelle has worked in both the synthesis and design of a variety of drug targets in neuroscience, cardiovascular, and metabolic indications. Her research has optimized chemical structures for potency, brain penetration, and ADME attributes, leading to the identification of clinical candidates. In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children playing games such as “The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel” and touring local playgrounds.