Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

356 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION P rior to establishing a nearly 40-year career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, Dr. Mark A. Staples developed his interest in science-related subjects with extensive independent reading in his formative years. After attending the University of Kansas, he graduated with a BA in chemistry and biochemistry, with honors, in 1975. His undergraduate research in microtubules eventually led to his subsequent research in protein chemistry while pursuing his doctorate. He earned a PhD in biochemistry from the university in 1979. Working in a postdoctoral position at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Staples found himself surrounded by employment opportunities in the new biotechnology industry in Boston, Massachusetts. He commenced his career as a senior chemist and supervisor for New England Nuclear in 1980, eventually accepting more responsibilities in subsequent roles and ending his full-time career as vice president of research and development for MicroCHIPS, Inc., in Bedford, Massachusetts, in 2007. He later founded his own independent pharmaceutical development consulting practice, Cusp PharmaTech Consulting, LLC. Dr. Staples operates by a data-driven analytical approach to solving problems and has the ability to integrate and communicate complex sets of information. In his unique position with Cusp PharmaTech Consulting, he aids small, start-up pharmaceutical and biotechnology ventures to commercialize innovative drugs that serve previously unmet medical needs. In his spare time, Dr. Staples enjoys volunteering for organizations that have enhanced his professional growth and provided social context to his hobbies, which include photography. The former president of the Boston Camera Club in the mid-to-late 2000s, he assisted the club through a difficult transition period of declining membership. He has also led the New England chapter of the Parenteral Drug Association, which he had the pleasure to watch blossom over a 30-year period. MARK A. STAPLES, PHD PRINCIPAL, CONSULTANT Cusp PharmaTech Consulting, LLC Cambridge, MA