New Adventures

Shortly after becoming editor in chief of this publication in November 2005, I realized that I made an excellent choice, because I had entered a fascinating field replete with passionate people. Five years later, I know a lot more of the details of why the topic is so interesting and the crowd is so good, but the overall assessment is the same: biotech, and bioprocessing more specifically, is a great place to be.

Laura Bush

In spite of that, I couldn't resist the opportunity to switch gears and embark on a new adventure. I am departing BioPharm International to take on a new role here at Advanstar, as the editorial director of the Analytical Science group, which includes LCGC North America and Spectroscopy.

The great news is that Michelle Hoffman will be taking over the editorial leadership of BioPharm. For the past three years, Michelle has been at the helm of Pharmaceutical Technology and the IVT journals (the Journal of GXP Compliance and the Journal of Validation Technology, or JVT), and she is now adding BioPharm International to her responsibilities, with the title of editorial director.

For those of you who know Michelle from her work at Pharm Tech, you don't need me to tell you that no one could be better qualified for the job. For those of you who don't know Michelle, please allow me to introduce her.

Before joining Pharm Tech in 2007, Michelle served as editor-in-chief of Drug Discovery & Development, G&P, and BioPerform. She also served as the senior science editor for Harvard Medical School followed by almost a decade as the associate editor (life sciences) for American Scientist magazine. In addition, she was formerly a member of the news staff at Science magazine and an editor at Cell.

During her business career, she has been a member of the launch teams of two biotech startups, Quantum Genomics (functional genomics) and Karyogen (drug discovery). Michelle also analyzed new ventures at BD Technologies (part of Becton Dickinson) as a member of the business development group.

She was trained in molecular biology at Brown and Harvard and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she specialized in corporate finance and entrepreneurship.

I have seen first hand the excellent work that Michelle has done at Pharm Tech and the IVT journals. I can't wait to see what happens when she applies her sharp intellect, keen sense of publishing, and her science expertise to BioPharm. I also can't wait for her meet the wonderful BioPharm community.

Before all that happens, however, I have one important final step to take: expressing my gratitude to this great community. To all of you who have provided me with advice and guidance over the past five years—as well as contributions in the form of articles, webcasts, and interviews—I would like to extend a simply stated and heartfelt thank you.

Saying good-bye is always difficult, but in today's digital world, it's not completely necessary. We may not have the opportunity to see each other in person at conferences, but it's easy to stay connected through online communities and even using old-fashioned methods like e-mail and the phone. So let's stay in touch!

Laura Bush is the editorial director of LCGC North America and Spectroscopy, lbush@advanstar.com