Celebrating Changemakers: Meet the winners of our inaugural awards from Benchtalk Boston 2024
We’re impressed each and every day by our customers. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the inaugural Changemaker Awards, to celebrate the research, innovation, and excellence amongst our changemaking customers. And with Benchtalk bringing together the most innovative R&D scientists and leaders from across the globe, what better place to announce the top makers of innovation. Without further ado, here is a look at the winners of our first-ever Changemaker Awards.
Award: Benchling Champion
Winner: Samivel Evans, Sr. Software Engineer, Aera Therapeutics
Aera Therapeutics was founded with a vision to unlock the potential of genetic medicines across a broad range of modalities and therapeutic areas. Contributing to this innovation is Samivel Evans, a Sr. Software Engineer who leads Aera's Software Engineering and Lab Informatics teams and is pioneering advancements in integrating instrumentation and data capture. Samivel’s innovative work with Benchling's App Canvas, App Configuration, and Benchling Connect has set new standards for how engineers deploy Benchling tools within organizations.
Why this award
As one of the initial customers to use the Benchling App Canvas feature during Beta testing, Aera has provided scientists with a previously unavailable level of customization and interactivity in their user experience. Using the App Canvas to automate data analysis workflows, Samivel has enabled scientists to manipulate data and store results interactively within the Benchling notebook.
This new user experience through App Canvas not only streamlines processes, but has also created a much better user experience for Aera scientists, allowing them to seamlessly and dynamically interact with laboratory instruments and data. As a trailblazer in the adoption and utilization of Benchling's most cutting-edge features, Samivel has significantly advanced the integration of laboratory instruments and data analysis within Aera Therapeutics and more broadly across the Benchling ecosystem.
Award: Benchling Champion
Winner: Peter Hillier, Sr. Director, Discovery Automation, Eli Lilly
Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, scientists at Eli Lilly are urgently advancing science to solve some of the world’s most significant health challenges. Over the five years that Peter Hillier has partnered with Benchling, he has directly impacted this goal, becoming one of the strongest champions of driving change with the platform.
Why this award
Peter has been a steady, constant force for his team’s success with Benchling. With a proactive approach and deep expertise, Peter solves many challenges before they even get surfaced to Benchling’s team. He’s championed the adoption of many solutions, most notably Benchling Connect. He has extensively partnered with Benchling’s product team on new features, doing early testing and providing input, making him a key part of both Benchling and Lilly’s success.
“Lilly’s new acquisitions are now using Benchling because of Peter’s work. We currently have several projects for expansion with workflows and data capture, where he advocated for Benchling for all of those engagements.”
Award: AI & ML Pioneer
Winner: Shape Therapeutics
Shape Therapeutics combines breakthroughs in AI, RNA technology and synthetic biology to create safe, effective and accessible medicines. As a leader in AI, the pioneering company has successfully applied the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to the future of programmable RNA medicine.
Why this award
With Benchling as a central source of truth for R&D data, Shape Therapeutics is developing innovative RNA-targeting technologies and advanced genetic medicines. When Shape Therapeutics first began its journey with Benchling, several key business goals were top of mind, central to which was improving the capacity to create therapies at scale through developing processes with strong data traceability.
By ensuring results are linked to their samples in Benchling, Shape Therapeutics has enabled faster, accurate, and scalable business decisions. And with Benchling as a central source of truth, Shape Therapeutics is establishing standardized experimental data capture, governance, and lineage with a central source of truth.
“Having all of this automated behind the scenes, and integrating with our own training data sets, expedites our experimentalists' lives. They don’t need to think about managing data; they get to see it in their lab notebook in Benchling, and are able to more readily make interpretations.”
Award: Human Impact Award
Winner: Umoja Biopharma
Umoja Biopharma, based in Seattle and Colorado, is an innovative company developing gene therapies to create CAR T cells in vivo and in other off-the-shelf applications. Advancing these outcomes is its new approach to data management, setting a new standard for data strategy and bringing exponential value to the insights harnessed at Umoja.
Why this award
2024 has been an incredible year for Umoja, highlighted by FDA clearance of their IND application for UB-VV111, a CD19 directed in situ CAR T for hematologic malignancies. While all CAR T cell therapies drive enormous human impact, Umoja's UB-VV111 is uniquely situated to take that a step further. Using in vivo therapy, Umoja’s solution does not require collecting a patient's own cells to make the therapeutic, reducing potential barriers and burdens for patients, and expanding the reach of treatment.
By implementing a robust data management vision, the insights driving these therapies can be captured in a structured and meaningful way. Through establishing this practice, not only has Umoja’s IND filing been successful, but the long term future of Umoja’s ability to provide novel CAR T therapeutics to patients is supported.
"The ability to infuse a gene therapy that generates CD19-directed CAR T cells directly within a patient's body represents a potential paradigm shift in cancer treatment, eliminating numerous challenges that currently hinder the adoption of these life-saving therapies.”
Award: Top Community Contributor
Winner: Ken Robbins, President, Go2 Software
As a biotech informatics and digital transformation consultant, Ken Robbins is dedicated to helping organizations accelerate the development of novel therapeutic models. Rooted in building scalable foundations that can grow and evolve alongside the organization’s needs, Ken’s approach is one that aims to make users more productive. Staying true to this value, Ken has quickly garnered a reputation as the top contributor on the Benchling Community, extending his impact to a wide audience.
Why this award
Ken is not only a contributor within the Benchling Community, he's also a leader. Launching the first Benchling User Group in Boston, Ken has established and grown a community of 100+ members. Taking the initiative to formalize and share his expertise, he has created the open source repository Benchling SQL Hints to provide a resource for people developing Insights Dashboards. Expanding his knowledge to a wider audience, Ken has presented at Benchtalk for the past two years, bringing his insights to an even bigger community.
As the top contributor on the Benchling Community, Ken has helped establish standards and guidelines for a rich learning environment, bringing a delightful dose of humor to the community along the way.
Innovation is impossible without change
Accelerating progress requires the courage to challenge the status quo, and the determination to achieve change. To learn more about the breakthroughs being built on Benchling, read more about our 1,200+ customers unlocking discoveries every day. Stay tuned for our winners announced at Benchtalk London 2024!
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