Originally published at sanofi.us. Sanofi ranked No. 27 on The Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list in 2021.
Amy Richards is a researcher at Sanofi’s lab in Framingham, Mass. focusing on rare neurodegenerative diseases. Amy is part of a team of scientists working on the GBA-related Parkinson’s disease project, a rare form of the chronic neurodegenerative condition. She studied biology at Brown University and says the springboard for her career was working in the Dept. of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology (MPPB) where she was exposed to people from all over the world.
Q: What inspired you to work in science?
A: A major inspiration along my career path has been my dad. He was a Clinical Lab Scientist at Kent County Hospital in Rhode Island for over 20 years; a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves where he was a medical officer; and finally a high school science teacher. My father also suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). I lived with my parents during the course of my dad’s disease and helped my mom and sister take care of him as he became progressively paralyzed. ALS, like many diseases, is completely devastating and there are no disease-modifying therapies. My research cluster within Sanofi, led by Jim Dodge, is currently researching ALS. It would be amazing for us to move the marker even by a small fraction, to understand the disease biology better. That’s what keeps me going: the memory of my dad and the thousands of people who are actively dealing with their worlds being rocked by neurodegenerative diseases.
Q: What disease did you first research?
A: One of the first projects I worked on is gene therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is like ALS for children. It is a genetic disease that causes motor neurons in the spinal cord to die. The work we did on this project was profound to me, and it contributed to the advancement of therapeutics for this disease.
Q: Did you “always know” that you wanted to work in science, or was there a person or experience that led you to that decision?
A: Truly the first topic I ever researched was microbiology with my dad. In 5th grade, I swabbed the desks of the boys and girls to see who was dirtier for a science fair project. My dad brought me agar plates and taught me the correct way to streak a plate. We made homemade incubators with large plastic bags, some sponges, and lots of CO2 from exhaled breaths. After that, I maintained a great interest in biology and the scientific method through high school, college, and then after.
Q: As a scientist, what do you hope you can achieve — how is the work you do helping make a difference to patients, society, or science in general?
A: As a scientist, ultimately, I want to save lives and bring hope to patients and caregivers. I want to deliver transformative medicines and alleviate suffering. I understand, personally, what it means to live with a disease that has no cure. I want those patients to know that every day we are trying. They may not know it, but they have a group of cheerleaders, in lab coats and safety glasses, who are pushing themselves on a daily basis towards that cure.
Q: What’s it like to discover something?
A: It’s the wind in your sails. It’s like having 100 keys for one lock, and the joy of finding the one that fits. So often our work in research is trying and failing, then trying again. Your resiliency is constantly tested, so when you test a hypothesis and get validation, it gives you the energy to persevere. It’s like reading an excellent mystery and all the pieces of the plot fall into place.
Q: Anything else about your journey as a scientist you would like to share?
A: Good science is collaborative! I wouldn’t be here without the help, support, and mentorship from my colleagues.
