Emma Parmee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma Parmee
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![]() Emma Parmee, 2009
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Nationality | British |
Other names | Emma Rachel Parmee |
Alma mater | University of Oxford Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Occupation | scientist |
Employer | Merck & Co. |
Awards | Gordon E. Moore Medal (SCI) |
Emma Parmee is a brilliant British chemist and research scientist. She has helped create many important medicines. She was a key scientist in developing a drug called sitagliptin. This medicine helps people with Type 2 Diabetes. For her amazing work, she received the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award in 2007. She also earned the Society of Chemical Industry's Gordon E. Moore Medal in 2009.
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About Emma Parmee
Emma Rachel Parmee was born in the United Kingdom. She loved chemistry from a young age. She studied at the University of Oxford, a famous university. There, she earned her first degree and then her PhD in chemistry. Her PhD research finished in 1990.
Early Career and Research
After her PhD, Emma Parmee received a special scholarship. It was called a NATO post-doctoral fellowship. This allowed her to move to the United States. She continued her advanced research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, she worked with a scientist named Saturo Masamune. She studied how to use catalysts to make new molecules. Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions. Her research at MIT finished in 1992.
Joining Merck & Co.
In 1992, Emma Parmee joined Merck & Co.. This is a very large pharmaceutical company. She started working at their research lab in Rahway, New Jersey. Here, she began her career in drug discovery.
Developing New Medicines
Emma Parmee became a leader in finding new treatments. Her work has helped many people.
The Discovery of Sitagliptin
In 2006, Emma Parmee was a main researcher in a big discovery. Her team found a new medicine called sitagliptin. Merck sells this drug under the name Januvia. Sitagliptin is used to treat Type 2 Diabetes. This type of diabetes affects how the body uses sugar. The drug helps lower blood sugar levels. It does this without some of the side effects of older medicines.
Awards and Recognition
Emma Parmee's work on sitagliptin was highly praised. She received the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award in 2007. This award comes from the Research and Development Council of New Jersey. She also won the Prix Galien for Endocrinology in 2007. In 2009, she was given the Gordon E. Moore Medal. This medal is from the Society of Chemical Industry. These awards show how important her contributions were.
Leadership in Chemistry
Emma Parmee continued to take on bigger roles at Merck.
Leading Research Teams
In 2010, Emma Parmee moved to a different Merck facility. This one was in West Point, Pennsylvania. She became the site lead for chemical discovery there. She led teams that developed new small molecules. These molecules could help treat different diseases. She held this position until 2013.
Current Role and Contributions
After 2013, Emma Parmee was promoted again. She became an Associate Vice-President. She also became the Head of Exploratory Chemistry. In this role, she helps guide early research. She also co-chairs the Early Discovery Council for Merck Research Laboratories. This means she helps decide which new medicines Merck will explore.
Emma Parmee has written over forty scientific papers. These papers have been published in important journals. She has also filed for more than thirty US patents. These patents protect her inventions. Emma Parmee lives with her husband, son, and daughter.
See also
In Spanish: Emma Parmee para niños