Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff — the Mexican American molecular biologist whose breakthrough insulin gene cloning changed medicine forever — shares her trailblazing journey. At 78, she reflects on:
🔬 Pioneering the Biotech Revolution:
• The cutthroat race to clone insulin in the 1970s (and the blizzard that almost derailed it ❄️).
• How her team’s work birthed Genentech & Biogen — and transformed diabetes treatment worldwide.
💼 From Lab to Boardroom:
• Why she left Harvard to lead a startup (and mortgaged her house to save it).
• Lessons on resilience: "In business, rule #1 is: Don’t run out of money."
🌍 Truths on Diversity & Aging:
• Why diversity isn’t "nice to have" — it’s essential for scientific breakthroughs.
• Her take on immortality: "Humans shouldn’t live forever. Children bring the new ideas."
• The future of biotech: AI’s role, inflammation research, and tackling Parkinson’s.
A masterclass in reinvention from a woman who refused to be boxed in — by academia, age, or expectations.
#Biotech #WomenInSTEM #Insulin #Aging #DiversityInScience #StartupLife #ScienceHistory