Paresh Pujara

HELLO
I'M PARESH PUJARA

Biopharmaceutical Professional

PROFILE

JOURNEY SO FAR

Paresh Pujara

GET TO KNOW ME...

Hello, I am Paresh Pujara, a well-rounded Biopharmaceutical professional. Here is the brief outlook of my profile.

In my academic background, I have specialized in Microbiology, Biotechnology and Biochemistry. In the earlier phase of my academic life, I developed a strong interest into protein chemistry and protein based drugs to cure/prevent life threatening diseases. I guess, that’s what planted a seed in my career to be a professional in biopharmaceutical Industry.

I am disciplined and decisive leader with ability to drive excellence and increase productivity in manufacturing by inspiring innovation, optimizing efficiency and establishing standard work structure. I have 11 years of solid multidimensional and international biopharmaceutical experience with diverse biomolecule portfolio including recombinant therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies and vaccines. Also, I have worked in different aspect of biotherapeutic products including but not limited to manufacturing (upstream, downstream, media formulation, washing and sterilization), research and development, project management, and analytical testing.

I clearly feel that working in a Biopharmaceutical industry is a truly a passion of mine. I love what I do and it is my way of contributing towards better healthcare for tomorrow’s world.

In personal life, I am always up for a good book, camera and hiking trails. I am a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi who very famously said “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”

RESUME

EDUCATION

Master of Science in Biochemistry (2011-2013)

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Master of Science in Biotechnology (2006-2008)

Ganpat University, Kherva, India

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology (2003-2006)

Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, India

Advanced Certificate Course in Biotechnology and Intellectual Property (2013)

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Academy)

EXPERIENCE

Deputy Director (Vaccine Manufacturing) / April 2021 - Present
Sanofi Pasteur, Canada

Vaccine Manufacturing Manager / December 2018 - April 2021
Sanofi Pasteur, Canada

Visting Faculty / September 2018 - March 2019
Academy Of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) Inc., Canada

Technologist / November 2014 - December 2018
Sanofi Pasteur, Canada

Project Manager / January 2014 - August 2014
Pacemaker Pharmachem, India

Research Associate / July 2008 - December 2010
Intas Pharmaceuticals, India

Tech Executive (Co-Op) / June 2007 - July 2008
Pacemaker Pharmachem, India

KEY KNOWLEDGE AREAS

Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

Statistical Data Analysis

Quality by Design (QbD)

Downstream Processing

cGMP

21 CFR 11 211

Biotechnology

Technology Transfer

Process Validation

Cleaning Validation

Thermal Validation

Equipment Validation

Product Development

Protein Chemistry

Analytical Testing

Process Improvement

Technical Writing

Training

HSE

Project Management

ACHIEVEMENTS

Certificate Courses

  • Successfully completed certificate course on Biotechnology and Intellectual Property (DL-204) from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy (2013)

Professional Credential/Certifications - Continuing education

  • Currently pursuing Pharmaceutical GMP Professional Certification (CPGP) from American Society for Quality (ASQ) and project management professional (PMP) from Project management Institute (PMI).

Industry Awards

  • GenBio-Next Award (2010) by Intas Biopharmaceutical Ltd. India for conducting independent research study to evaluate commercial potential of a novel Bio-theraputic molecule
  • Recognition award (2015) by Sanofi Pasteur Canada for troubleshooting problems and successfully commissioning Alfa-Laval B-TUX centrifuge

Academic Awards

  • Original research poster presentation award at 3rd Plant Metabolism Conference 2012, Banff, AB
  • Scholastic performance award (recognition of high academic achievement in graduate program- MSc.)2008 and 2009, Ganpat University, India
  • Young Innovator (Science) award 2007 for presenting research on development of novel pH indicator from natural sources, Kadi University, Gujarat, India
  • Shree Rajendrabhai Desai Memorial award 2006 (Gold medal - recognition of highest academic achievement in undergraduate program- BSc.), Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, India.

Research Papers

  • Barber, C.J., Pujara, P.T., Reed, D.W., Chiwocha, S., Zhang, H., and Covello, P.S. (2013). The two step biosynthesis of cyclic peptides from linear precursors in a member of the plant family Caryophyllaceae involves cyclization by a serine protease-like enzyme. J. Biol. Chem. 288, 12500-12510.
  • Shah, M.C., Shilpkar, P.G., Pujara, P.T., and Shah, A.J. (2008). Extract of Clitoria ternatea L. flowers: natural universal pH indicator. Bioscience Reporter. 6 (2), 375-378.
  • Shah, M.C., Shilpkar, P.G., Shah, A.J., Pujara, P.T., and Zaloirya, P.V. (2006). Assessment of drinking water quality of various railway stations on Ahmedabad to Khedbrahma train route in Gujarat, India. Pollution Research. 25 (3), 549-552.

Book Chapter

  • de Costa F., Barber C.J.S., Pujara P.T., Reed D.W., Covello P.S. (2016). Purification of a Recombinant Polyhistidine-Tagged Glucosyltransferase Using Immobilized Metal-Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). In: Fett-Neto A. (eds) Biotechnology of Plant Secondary Metabolism. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1405. Humana Press, New York, NY

Characterization of peptide cyclase 1 (PCY1), a serine protease-like enzyme involved in cyclic peptide biosynthesis in plants.

In general, proteins/peptides are linear but surprisingly some proteins/peptides have circular structure. Cyclic peptides are small group of peptides with a circular backbone. A very little was known about the biosynthesis of these peptides in nature. The research project was aimed to decode the molecular mechanism in biosynthetic pathway and characterization of the key enzyme involve in cyclization of procedure.
Skills: Homology modeling, protein purification, chromatography, mass spectrometry (LC-MS), Surface plasmon resonance (SPR)

Pegylation of recombinant human (rhu) therapeutic protein molecules

PEGylation is the process of attaching the strands of the polymer PEG to molecules, most typically peptides, proteins, and antibody fragments, that can improve the safety and efficiency of many therapeutics. Multiple drug candidates were developed for commercial market with increased serum half-life and improved pharmacokinetics.
Skills: Protein chemistry, PEGylation, HPLC, Chromatography (FPLC), Dialysis, Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration

Functional domain recognition of olfactory marker protein (OMP) by block analysis

Olfactory marker protein (OMP) is a cytoplasmic protein found in mature olfactory receptor neurons and also involved in signal transduction. Research project was conducted to understand the functional domains of the OMP and its role by various protein-protein interaction methods.
Skills: Protein-protein interaction, protein sequence analysis, 3D structure assessment, Bioinformatics

Novel universal pH indicator development from natural source.

Ever wondered why pH indicator display different color at different pH? This intriguing question started a research project to understand the chemistry of pH indicator and development of universal pH indicator from natural source. After careful screening procedure, five flower extracts were chosen for the project and the results were summarized and published. This work presented at multiple scientific conference and won awards.
Skills: Acid-base titration and Spectrometry

Physiochemical and Biological analysis of potable water collected from railway stations.

It all started with a simple question asked by a friend 'is it safe to drink water on railway station?' An widespread sampling was done and a team of four young undergraduate students conducted thorough chemical and biological analysis of all samples. The data was complied and tested by statistical methods to draw conclusion. This work got lot of attention in local community and helped to create awareness in public health and welfare.
Skills: Microbiology MPN method, Analytical chemistry, Statistical analysis

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