Black History Month 2023: celebrating diversity in STEM – interview with Mary Ann Ngeny

Awareness Interviews

Mary Ann Ngeny
Associate Regulatory Affairs Director
AstraZeneca (Cambridge, UK)

We are celebrating Black History Month 2023 by interviewing those who are a part of the Black community and work within the field of STEM, as we want to highlight the work and achievements of those who may go unrecognised within the industry.

We interviewed expert Mary Ann Ngeny from AstraZeneca about the work she is involved in, her proudest project/research and the best piece of advice she’s been given whilst building her career.

1) Please introduce yourself and the work that you do

My name is Mary Ann Ngeny. I am a black woman of Kenyan descent living her best life as a mom, scientist, collaborator, champion of others and life-long learner. I have a passion for the empowerment of young adults, I believe in the value of family, friendship and human connections, and live by three mantras;

  • The ability to adapt to change is an important life skill (The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than be mighty oak which breaks in the storm ~ Confucius)
  • Give and it shall come back to you in good measure
  • Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

I currently work as an Associate Regulatory Affairs Director at AstraZeneca (Macclesfield, UK). I have been in the Regulatory department for just under 5 years, prior to which I worked in research for about 12 years, mainly as a GLP bioanalysis and toxicokinetics Study Director/ Principal Investigator.

In my Regulatory role, I oversee the rollout of Marketing Authorisation Applications (MAAs) and Clinical Line Extension (CLE) submissions to international markets for oncology products. I work with a diverse group of professionals in various fields such as Supply Chain, Regulatory CMC, Marketing & Commercial as well as Quality Assurance.

2) What motivated you to pursue the career you are in now?

I really like problem solving and loved chemistry in high school, so I guess it was only natural that I ended up doing a chemistry-related course at university. My first job in Bioanalysis gave me an opportunity to put that love for chemistry into practice and, although I have changed roles during my career, I have enjoyed them all. I like the fact that, regardless of the role I work in, the objective is to facilitate the delivery of much-needed therapeutic products to patients and as such I have opted to stay in Pharma. The Regulatory role has given me an opportunity to further develop my project management and stakeholder management skills.

3) What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I get to work with multidisciplinary teams and appreciate the value/ input of each contributor. It’s a role that requires collaboration, agility, having an inquisitive mind, creativity, determination, a learner attitude, networking and good communication skills.

4) What project/research have you worked on that you are most proud of?

The project I am most proud of is the pre-clinical Bioanalysis and Toxicokinetics support I provided for an oncology development program, the product of which attained breakthrough designation and received rapid MAA review and approval in several countries. Hearing and reading the testimonies of patients who have been positively impacted by this product is really rewarding.

5) What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

The only constant thing is change, so learn to adapt.

6)Who is your inspirational hero?

My mother, Elizabeth Ngeny, is my inspirational hero. She is a strong and wise woman. Besides raising seven children, she started a kindergarten 40 years ago which eventually grew into a primary school, now called Eland School and Kindergarten (Kericho, Kenya). She has been a pillar in her community and a mother to many. She epitomises fortitude, foresight, having a can-do attitude, collaborative working and continuous learning. She has achieved so much and is yet to accomplish more!