Innovating Bioprocessing at BMS Ireland

Introducing Fiona Stapleton: a senior engineer specialising in downstream manufacturing support who harbours a deep-seated passion for transforming patients’ lives through the manufacture of medications. Fiona’s five-year tenure at Cruiserath Biologics is marked with an unwavering commitment to professional advancement and excellence, demonstrated by her journey from a manufacturing intern to her current senior role.

Fiona’s professional path attests to her dedication in mastering all facets of bioprocessing. Her practical industry experience began in January 2019 while she was studying for her Biotechnology degree at Dublin City University, interning in downstream manufacturing at Bristol Myers Squibb Ireland (BMS). Following a nine month internship, she returned to her studies and completed her degree.

Upon graduation in June 2020, Fiona returned to Bristol Myers Squibb in the capacity of a downstream bioprocess specialist. For two years, she immersed herself in learning and perfecting manufacturing processes to meet superior quality standards. By September 2022, in recognition of her dedication and competence, Fiona was promoted to the post of senior bioprocess specialist. Over the next couple of years in this role, Fiona spearheaded considerable innovation within the company, all the while pursuing a postgraduate degree in Biopharmaceutical Processing at Atlantic Technological University, which she completed in 2022, thereby consolidating her position in the industry.

It was in March 2024 that Fiona accepted the role of senior specialist, downstream manufacturing support engineer at Cruiserath Biologics. Here, she utilises state-of-the-art technologies to improve manufacturing processes, contributing significantly to medication development. With her meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to superior standards, Fiona ensures stringent regulatory compliance in bioprocessing whilst maintaining operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Reflecting on her role, Fiona encapsulates her dedication by stating, “At BMS, we’re not merely chasing innovation just for the sake of it; our objective is to provide our patients with the essential medications they require”, emphasising the critical nature of manufacturing life-saving medications, a mission totally aligned with BMS’s goal of effecting transformation in patients’ lives through scientific inventions.

In the collaborative and supportive environment of Cruiserath Biologics, Fiona feels a sense of unity and assistance, with her co-workers always ready to offer aid and advice. She sees a future here, broadening her career scope within the manufacturing sector and capitalising on every chance to expand both her abilities and knowledge.

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