Independent Consultant

Dr. Ackley earned her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati where she conducted research under the mentorship of Professor Joseph Caruso.  Her doctoral work was in the area of elemental speciation using separation techniques interfaced to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.  After graduation she managed a drinking water testing laboratory before transitioning into the pharmaceutical industry.  She spent over 15 years working in contract manufacturing organizations (CMO) serving the pharmaceutical industry.  In 2001, she joined the new US operation of the German CMO Girindus.  There she held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility including QC Manager, Director of Operations, and Vice President of Business Development and Project Management.  In 2013, she joined Nitto Denko Avecia (NDA) after its acquisition of Girindus’ US facility.  NDA is the world leader in the contract manufacturing of oligonucleotide pharmaceuticals.  With NDA, she was a Senior Director of Operations and then the Vice President of Development overseeing the process development and analytical development teams at all NDA locations.  Nearly all her experience is with drugs in early development and clinical trials.  She worked on a broad range of compounds including small molecules, radio pharmaceuticals, and oligonucleotides.  She was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the US TIDES conference, the leading scientific conference for the oligonucleotide industry.  In 2016, she decided to stop working full time in order to spend more time with her family.  She remains a Scientific Advisor for NDA working on a part time basis.  When not advising in the area of pharmaceuticals, she advocates for children in the foster care system, gardens, and plays with her dogs.