October 10th 2023 marks Ada Lovelace Day, a day that highlights the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). This Ada Lovelace Day we are focusing on Senior Bioassay Scientist Dr Lara De Tomasi’s journey and achievements at Cellomatics.
Lara joined Cellomatics in February 2022 as a Senior Scientist and immediately became responsible for several client projects which included assay planning and execution. Her background in Genetics and Molecular Biology meant that she spent a lot of time focused on these areas and, in doing so, helped increase the company’s capabilities within this field. As Cellomatics receives requests for a number of therapeutic areas, including inflammation, Lara’s thirst for knowledge and her determination to succeed has seen her take the lead on a number of inflammation projects and she has become one of the company’s leading experts in this field.
After only a few months at Cellomatics, Lara was assigned the responsibility of line managing a small team of scientists. Since then, Lara’s role has continued to expand as she oversees multiple projects on a range of therapeutic areas, including Immunology and Oncology, and is constantly expanding her scientific knowledge. She is also part of the hiring panel, giving input on new recruits and finding the best fit for the company.
As Senior Bioassay Scientist, Lara now has many managerial responsibilities and collaborates closely with other Scientists and Senior Scientists on most company projects, allowing her to frequently interact with Cellomatics’ global client base. Lara has also started to assist the Study and Operations Director with her role, allowing her to learn about lab organisation, the needs of the company, and how it operates. Despite her role being more office-based than lab-based now, she is always on hand to offer scientific and technical advice to the team as she oversees their projects.
Lara feels lucky that she joined Cellomatics at a time of growth and expansion for the company as this has allowed her to progress quickly while learning a lot both scientifically and commercially. She is looking forward to her future career growth and management opportunities at Cellomatics and feels proud to be part of the company that supports her progression.
When asked to give advice to other women in STEM, Lara said, “Be strong and confident. The STEM world can be tough and competitive, especially for women, but if you study hard and remember your objectives you will find it incredibly rewarding.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough or that you must choose between your career and having a family, you can have both. Focus on what your passions are, and your career will follow naturally.”
Interested in becoming part of the Cellomatics team? Visit our careers page to learn more here.
