BRC Alums

Welcome!

This is the public website for alumni of the Bayer Research Community.

Check back with us soon for more information about the alumni community, as well as photos from the "BRC alumni archives", job search tools, and more.

If you would like to contribute articles, photos, or other information to the site, please contact the moderators at brc_alums@yahoo.com.

We also have several private, members-only Yahoo! Discussion Groups and E-Mail Lists for Bayer and Berlex  Research Center Alums:

• Beyond Berlex
• Bayer West Haven

BRC Members Help to Organize Charity Benefit on March 10

BRC Alums member, Jen Pendleton, recently forwarded news that she and other BRC Alums members are helping to organize a wine tasting and silent auction to benefit The Animal Haven. Here is a (slightly edited) note about the event from Jen:

"

Hi Everyone,

It is almost time for The Animal Haven's Wine Tasting & Silent Auction!

When: Wednesday, MARCH 10, 2010
Where: Aunt Chilada's Restaurant, Hamden, Connecticut
Time: 6 pm to 9 pm

There are going to be lots of great auction prizes (RedSox Tickets and a 3L Bottle of BOGLE Wine just to name a few), and we are also having a Harpoon Beer Tasting as well. All Proceeds go to benefit Animal Haven's Emergency Medical Fund.

If you need tickets or more information, download the event flyer (323 KB PDF file). Tickets will be available at the door, too.

Hope to see you there!

Jen

"

You can also visit The Animal Haven's Calendar of Events for more information.

 

Coda

Via twitter, we learn from Chris Browe that the last remaining Bayer presence at the former North American pharma headquarters ends today:

BRC Alum, Joe Catino, to Speak at Yale

Former Head of Pharmaceutical Research USA at Bayer HealthCare, Joe Catino, Ph.D., will be giving a presentation at Yale next month regarding his current company, Helix Therapeutics. Dr. Catino is the President and CEO of Helix Therapeutics, and he will be joined by Peter Glazer, M.D., Ph.D., Yale professor and Helix's founder.

Members of the public, including BRC alums, are welcome to attend. A detailed agenda is at http://curenet.org/curenews/0910helix/, but the key points are:

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Anlyan Center Auditorium, Yale Medical School
3:30 P.M. Registration
4:00 P.M. Seminar
5:00 P.M. Networking, Refreshments & Wine Bar

Registration is free, but please RSVP in advance. E-mail to biohaven@yale.edu or call the Yale Office of Cooperative Research main number at 1-203-785-6209.

June 13, 2009: BRC Reunion Party

Save the date! Diane Mierz is pulling together a BRC reunion bash on Saturday, June 13th. Keep an eye on the BRC Alums group on Yahoo, or pester Diane on Facebook for more details.

Bayer's Former Research Campus in the News

A nicely done series of articles at The Yale Daily News:

• Feb 10, 2009: "A Campus Springs to Life."
• Feb 11, 2009: "Robots, Researchers Settle into New Home."
• Feb 12, 2009: "Out West, Arts and Sciences Find Harmony."
• Feb 13, 2009: "At West Campus, Collaboration is Key."

Yale's Center for High Throughput Cell Biology Takes Shape On Former Bayer Campus

Here's a followup article to the one we mentioned yesterday:

'Last Thursday, three scientists tackled a mound of well-sealed bubble-wrap like children on Christmas morning in a race to uncover their lab’s newest resident: Twister. Twister is just one of the numerous robots that inhabit the labs of the West Campus’ Center for High Throughput Cell Biology, the first facility of its kind for the University. HTCB is the first of three core facilities to be up and running here at the former Bayer HealthCare complex, whose sprawling laboratories are beginning to make possible research that would otherwise have been years away if Yale were instead to build facilities from scratch on central campus.'

Yale Daily News: A Campus Springs to Life

The Yale Daily News has a good article on progress at Bayer's former site in West Haven:

'For the 16 researchers who comprise the Center for High Throughput Cell Biology, the opportunities West Campus presented were too compelling to pass up. In interviews, many of the researchers said they found the experience of being West Campus’ first full-time residents exciting — and a bit strange, too. As one researcher, Adrian Poffenberger, put it, the initial experience was “sort of like living in a Stephen King novel.” He explained that it was not so much being surrounded by empty space that made it creepy, but that the space felt as if it had been occupied just the day before. Another researcher, Jason Ignatius, admitted that West Campus felt lonely at first, but that there was a certain “fun factor” to being one of the first people on site.'

Bayer West Haven Commemorated

The following announcement recently landed in the BRC Alums mailbox:

[Bayer] Board of Management’s Plischke and Yale’s VP unveil commemorative plaque.

West Haven Site Dedication Honors Bayer Employees' Contributions Spanning 40 Years

2008-08-06

On July 31, Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, Member of the Board of Management Bayer AG and past President of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals division, joined Bayer employees and dignitaries from Yale, Orange and West Haven on the Oyster River Bridge at Bayer’s former West Haven campus for a special dedication ceremony honoring Bayer employee contributions to science, patients, and the community.

After an introduction by Sandy Oliver, VP, Public Policy and State Government Affairs, Dr, Plischke opened his remarks by welcoming employees and special guests including Bruce Alexander, Yale’s VP for New Haven State Affairs and Campus Development, Reinhard Franzen, President and CEO, BHCP, Paolo Pucci, CEO, ArQule Inc. and former President, BHC Pharma, Mayor John Picard, City of West Haven, and First Selectman, James Zeoli, Town of Orange.

“It is a great pleasure to be here today with all of you to celebrate the accomplishments of the many talented men and women from all over the globe who have worked at this wonderful campus,” said Plischke. “I had the privilege of working here several years and I have many fond memories of employees and of the local surrounding communities.

“Historically, the West Haven campus opened over 40 years ago as Dome Laboratories, a Division of Miles laboratory, with 250 employees. Throughout our 40-year history on this site, employees made many contributions to expanding our knowledge of science and developing medicines to improve the health of people worldwide.”

Plischke listed a few significant facts about the site:

• Alka Seltzer was manufactured here
• Cipro was manufactured and supplied to aid the US government during the anthrax outbreak
• Nexavar ®, the first oral treatment for kidney cancer, was discovered in research laboratories here.

“These advances couldn’t have been made without the support of the vast infrastructure of talented individuals working collaboratively in the areas of research, manufacturing, distribution, product development, regulatory, legal, finance and others who dedicated themselves to their work to improve the lives of patients.

“I’m confident that this legacy of dedication and commitment will continue as we turn to a new chapter in the history of this site under the leadership of Yale--its new owners.”

Speaking on behalf of Yale, Bruce Alexander paid tribute to the many talented employees who have worked on campus.

“I’ve been a big admirer of Dr. Plischke and the Company,” said Alexander. “Today, I’d like to celebrate and acknowledge the many traditions Bayer brought to this campus including research to cure disease and improve the quality of life around the world and a legacy of community partnerships.”

“I’m proud that Yale will continue the great traditions Bayer began.”

Plischke and Alexander together unveiled a bridge plaque that reads:

From 1965-2007, this was the Bayer HealthCare
(formerly Miles Laboratories) campus.
During that time Bayer HealthCare employees
made important contributions to science
and to the health of individuals worldwide.

Orange’s First Selectman James Zeoli commented that it is “fitting that this bridge has brought us all together—symbolizing the ties between West Haven, Orange, Bayer and Yale.”

“We’re excited and honored that Yale chose this site and plans to carry on its traditions,” he said.

West Haven Mayor John Picard added his thanks to Yale for deciding to move to the site. He also acknowledged the “incredible relationship and friendship built with Bayer over the years.”

“You can tell a lot about the character of a company by what it does when no one is looking,” he said. “The good Bayer has done for the community speaks volumes.”

Yale's Plans for Bayer Campus

An interview of Yale's President, Rick Levin, regarding Yale's plans for the former Bayer facility in West Haven, CT.

BRC Alums and the New Haven Science Fair

For many years, Bayer researchers have supported the New Haven Science Fair by serving as project judges. Via BRC Alums, the tradition continues!

This year's Science Fair will be taking place May 13th through 15th, with judges needed on the afternoon of the 13th and the morning of the 14th. If you can donate some of your time, or know of anyone who might be interested, please visit the New Haven Science Fair's website for more information and to download a judging registration form.

UPDATE: Direct Link to Judging Application Form and to new New Haven Science Fair website.