Jennifer Spokes Johansson, B.A. 1992

Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Counsel, Larimar Therapeutics – Philadelphia, PA (remote from Maine)

1992 Major: Biology (with distinction)

How has being a Biology graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"At Duke I was able to explore many different ways to incorporate biology into a career, such as with internships shadowing a doctor at the hospital and conducting research in a lab. Because I thought I might be interested in pursuing science policy or law, I took a summer class in marine policy at the marine lab and wrote my paper for graduating with distinction on using DNA fingerprinting in the legal system. After graduating, my Duke degree and experiences helped me obtain a job working for the federal government in a lab at the National Institutes of Health. I then went to law school where I did a concentration in food and drug law. I have worked in the food and drug practice group of a large Washington, DC law firm, as well as in established and start-up veterinary and human pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. I specialize in the areas of legal, regulatory affairs and quality assurance, advising on compliance with FDA regulations as well as navigating the regulatory pathways to product approvals."

What advice would you give students in Duke's Biology programs? 

"There are many different ways to use biology in a career - don't be afraid to explore them! Take advantage of the many opportunities Duke has to offer, including your professors' expertise. Being able to work closely with a professor on my thesis paper was a valuable experience beyond the usual classroom lectures. And don't worry if there are hurdles - genetics was another area I thought might be my career path and I struggled in the class. I took advantage of office hours with my TA and that was the extra assistance I needed. The learnings in genetics has come in handy, as the disease my company is working to treat is a rare, inherited disease."

Jennifer Spokes Johansson