Bio-1 Governance Board Spotlight on Elizabeth Posillico
By Julia Milton
As the President and CEO of Elusys Therapeutics, Dr. Elizabeth Posillico is never bored. She is responsible for maintaining the operations of the Pine Brook bio-pharmaceutical company, a job that involves (among other things) overseeing government-funded programs, dealing with personnel issues, and ensuring that everyone has the resources they need to do their jobs. The scientists at Elusys have been developing potentially life-saving treatments for Anthrax and other infectious diseases; Dr. Posillico’s behind-the-scenes managerial work ensures that the road to discovery runs smoothly.
Dr. Posillico notes that Elusys, like many biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations in New Jersey, benefits from Bio-1’s mission to connect industry with the educational, academic, and training resources it needs. Furthermore, the communication channel opened between industry and education is invaluable. Dr. Posillico’s dedication to improving workforce development in New Jersey through her work on the Board of Directors of BioNJ led her to become involved with Bio-1. As a member of Bio-1’s Governance Board, she has been working on developing and improving the new Internship and Job Matching Site because she knows that employers may not always have direct access to students and recent grads who are looking for internships and jobs.
As a manager, Dr. Posillico represents a critical but sometimes overlooked side of the bioscience industry. Her talent for keeping Elusys operating efficiently has earned her a place in the New Jersey High-Tech Hall of Fame. Like all members of the Governance Board, Dr. Posillico is eager to see young people pursuing careers in science. However, she would like to encourage them to think about not only careers in pure research, but to see the potential in the operational and regulatory aspects of the field as well.
