Uber-accomplished in the pharmaceutical industry, Kinkini Roy, PhD, is the associate director of formulation development for RNA therapeutics at Aviceda Therapeutics. In this capacity, she leads the development of innovative drugs designed to leverage natural biological mechanisms to target specific sugars in various organs and tissues. By incorporating genetic material, these pioneering drugs aim to address health issues without traditional interventions. Primarily, Dr. Roy and her team focus their efforts on treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, with the goal of expanding into cancer treatment and addressing other immunological conditions.
Dr. Roy’s contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards, including honors from the American Chemical Society and from the chief technology officer and executive board of Lubrizol. Celebrated early on for her achievements, Dr. Roy earned the Young Chemist Award and several other recognitions for her published works and research efforts. Active in her professional community, she maintains affiliation with multiple organizations, including the American Chemical Society, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, and the American Association of Chemical Engineers.
Dr. Roy prepared for her decades of professional success as a student in India at the University of Calcutta, where she earned a Master of Science in biotechnology in 2003. Continuing her academic efforts in the United States at The University of Southern Mississippi, she worked as a graduate research assistant in biochemistry before ultimately earning a Doctor of Philosophy in polymer, organic, nanomaterial and supramolecular chemistry in 2011. During this time, she gained additional professional experience as a safety officer at the University of Southern California from 2008 to 2012. Following the completion of her doctoral degree, Dr. Roy was a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist in polymer science and engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to her professional development and education, completing a diploma in leadership and management at Harvard Business School in 2022.
Prior to accepting her current position at Aviceda Therapeutics, Dr. Roy thrived as the scientific director of Phosphorex LLC, where she oversaw lipid nanoparticle and polymer nanoparticle-based delivery systems. Beforehand, she worked for Lyndra Therapeutics as a principal investigator, formulation lead, and CMC lead, where she contributed to the development of a groundbreaking drug delivery system. The innovative slow-release mechanism offered exciting opportunities to treat many types of diseases, including mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Later, Dr. Roy became an innovation and new product development group leader with The Lubrizol Corporation, overseeing the implementation of a new technology involving membrane purification systems for water. To achieve this remarkable feat, she managed an elite team of engineers, scientists, and technicians. During her tenure at Lubrizol, she additionally served as the Brecksville site vice chair for sustainability.
Reflecting on her career trajectory, Dr. Roy is proud of her contributions to the scientific community, noting the impact her work has had on society. She ascribes her success to the support of her family and to her mentors for encouraging more women to pursue careers in the sciences. As a female leader in a mostly male industry, Dr. Roy knows the obstacles women face and strives to reframe these difficulties as opportunities for growth and progress.
In the coming years, Dr. Roy plans to continue pioneering new and important drug delivery methods that will have vital clinical applications. She also hopes to further contribute to scientific literature through her publications and her patients while strengthening her team and expanding her reach in the pharmaceutical industry.