Professional Experience

D. McCormick

SUMMARY:

Experienced writer, editor, and leader of market-dominating science and biomedical publications, in print and online. Strong instincts for audiences, quality, market opportunity, and technology, coupled with first-class analytical skills: strategy, modeling, budgeting and managing the bottom line. Broad knowledge of publishing, biotechnologies, pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, physician markets, scientific research, nanotechnology, and the Internet. More than two decades managing STEM communications, from data-based services and online publications through trade magazines, journals, trade books, and public relations.

EXPERIENCE:

SELF-EMPLOYED, New York, NY (2009-Present)

Freelance Writer, Editor, Webinar Host/Producer, Consultant

Independent publishing and communications consultant, producer, and science writer.

• Webinars: Planning, booking, producing, and moderating, using On24, ReadyTalk, Webex.
  • IEEE Spectrum “Tech Insider” webinars
  • IEEE Communications Society webinars
  • “Blue Marvel-Ocean Mysteries” online seminars for the Ocean Research Collaboration Network under an NSF grant; 22 installments 2012-2016.
  • “Extend Battery Life in IOT Devices with IEEE Wake-Up Radio,” IEEE Education Division” (writer and presenter)
• Newsletters: Item selection, writing, editing, distribution, and (occasionally) ad trafficking:
  • IEEE Spectrum Test & Measurement Newsletter, biweekly newsletter, 2013-2017
  • IEEE Microwave Newsletter, monthly for IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society, 2014-present.
• Writing and visuals for 5-course IEEE online program Digital Transformation: Moving Toward a Digital Society, featuring Roberto Saracco (2020-2021)
• Reporting and writing 60-page IEEE standards preview, 802.11ba Battery Life Improvement – IEEE Technology Report on Wake-Up Radio: An Application, Market, and Technology Impact Analysis of Low-Power/Low-Latency 802.11 Wireless LAN Interfaces (IEEE, 1 Nov. 2017)
• Reporting and writing 93-page-report on NSF-sponsored IEEE Workshop on the Future of Research Curation and Research Reproducibility (IEEE/NSF, 2017).
• Editorial services for Boehringer-Ingelheim (Ingelheim am Rhein, FRG), including
  • Parker SA et al., “Design of a novel continuous flow reactor for low pH viral inactivation,” Biotechnol Bioeng. 2018 Mar;115(3):606-616.
  • Garidel P, et. al., “High-concentration protein formulations: How high is high?”   Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2017 Oct;119:353-360.
  • Bahrenburg S et al., “Buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions: from protein buffer capacity prediction to bioprocess applications,” Biotechnol J. 2015 Apr. 10(4):610-22
  • and others published and in press.
• Researching and writing 14-page IBM Whitepaper “Power and the Industrial Internet of Things,” 2015
• Copyediting for medical communications at BGB Communications and Ogilvy Healthworld
• Interim Editor for AMS Group’s PM360, a 17,000-controlled circulation monthly for pharmaceutical marketers. Strengthened editorial presentation for 12 issues and 4 supplements, plus three competitions and an industry awards banquet. Established online newsletter and web seminar series.
• Researching and writing healthcare policy papers for the non-profit Housing Works (New York, NY)
• Writing healthcare policy paper for Oliver Wyman Associates (New York, NY, for the Gates Foundation), from supplied slides with some additional research:
  • Smith G, et al., “Is there enough vaccine to eradicate measles? An integrated analysis of measles-containing vaccine supply and demand.” J Infect Dis. 2011 Jul;204 Suppl 1:S62-70.
• Editorial services for Children’s Tumor Foundation.
• Special projects for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (New Rochelle, NY), including editorial, advertising section, and poster for Oct. 2011 30^th-anniversary issue.
• Advising BiteSizeBio.com (Edinburgh, Scotland) as “head coach,” including invention of “AdRSS” advertising format.

INFORMA HEALTHCARE, New York, NY (2007-2009)

Editorial Director, BioTechniques

Recruited to manage print and online editorial for peer-reviewed journal of biological research methods (controlled international circulation 80,000 print, 10,000 digital). Led staff of eight, producing 12 monthly editions of peer-reviewed research for world’s most-cited general methods journal. Expanded brand to embrace Web, e-newsletters, social media, special issues, and supplements. Successfully relocated and rebuilt editorial staff on the fly. Guided publication to move from third in market ad paging to first place, passing Nature and Science.

ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS, INC., Iselin, NJ (2004-2007)

Editor in Chief, Pharmaceutical Technology

Managed editorial direction and budgets of dominant trade monthly for U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing (circulation 38,000 controlled), with staff of seven. In addition to 12 monthly issues of staff-written articles and peer-reviewed papers, 10 supplements, three directories, and a Web site, launched weekly e-mail newsletter, monthly electronic magazine, Web seminars, live conferences, a quarterly special edition with distribution in China and the Pacific Rim, devised a strategy for integrating print and online products, and more than tripled online traffic while building group’s largest returning online audience. Publication reversed market-share erosion to increase first-place lead in class.

Editor in Chief, Pharmaceutical Discovery (2005)

Interim solo care-taker editor while buyer sought for monthly serving drug-discovery market.

PHYSICIAN VERIFICATION SERVICES, INC., Wynnewood, PA (1996-2003)

Founder, President, and Chairman

Conceived and founded data-based pharmaceutical marketing-services company funded by GlaxoSmithKline to provide direct-mail and on-line marketing to physicians, electronic detailing, and online prescriptions. Built real-time authentication system covering 2.5 million professionals in 7 countries (70% of world pharma market). Raised $4 million in outside capital, oversaw technology development and operations, database design and operation, vendor negotiations, and financial and administrative management. Named inventor on five patent applications in real-time professional authentication.

BIONETWORK, INC. (TRANSACTIV, INC.), Seattle, WA (1997)

Vice President, Editorial Director; Member, Board of Directors

Developed content, databases, and integrated powerful online tools into business-to-business Web e-commerce service serving life-science research organizations.

SMITHKLINE BEECHAM, Philadelphia, PA  (4/1994-9/1997)

Corporate Director, Scientific Communication (4/1994-9/1996)

Worked with company scientific community, government officials, and special interest groups to establish and communicate company positions on social and ethical issues stemming from genomics and biotechnology. Established internal and external education campaigns. Worked with government affairs staff to promote company positions with legislators and regulators in U.S. and Europe. Highlight: Primary corporate liaison in front page Wall Street Journal article headlined “SmithKline Leads Race to Turn Genes into Drugs.” Led teams developing corporate Internet business strategy and building corporate Web site: Selected vendors and oversaw design and content.  Member of Research Management Committee, deciding which projects to advance from discovery to development. Acted as liaison between R&D and Corporate staffs.

Editor, SB HealthCast (1996-1997)

Planned, assigned, wrote, edited and oversaw design and production of company’s online consumer-education magazine. (Part-time freelance.)

NATURE PUBLISHING COMPANY, New York, NY (1984-1993)

Vice President, Editorial Director; Member, Board of Directors (1989-1993)

Member of three-person office of the president with operational responsibility for $15-million-a-year scientific publishing company, publishers of paid- and controlled-circulation magazines including Nature, Bio/Technology (now Nature Biotechnology), Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Lab Animal, Diagnostics & Clinical Testing, and Sea Frontiers magazines. Set editorial policy for U.S. publications, made editorial and production budgets, managed editorial staff on three continents, oversaw IT infrastructure. Team managed company through five years of double-digit growth during a period of general trade-magazine downturn.

Editor, Bio/Technology (now Nature Biotechnology) (1984-1993)

Built world’s leading publication in biotechnology (18,000 paid international circulation), published for research managers, researchers and industry executives with a stake in strategic technical planning and product development. Converted out-of-control money-loser to profit from third issue.

Associated positions: Co-Director, Miami-Bio/Technology Winter Symposium (1987-1993); Adjunct Associate Professor of Biochemistry University of Miami Medical School, Miami, FL (1989-1993); Co-Director, PaineWebber-Bio/Technology Conference (1988-1993)

HAYDEN BOOK COMPANY, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ  (1982-1984)

Computer Science Editor

Shaped book proposals, negotiated contracts, and handled author relations in acquiring more than 75 computing titles (including two category bestsellers, Mastering Wordstar and The Macintosh Revealed) for trade book publisher.

MORGAN-GRAMPIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, New York, NY (1980-1982)

Senior Editor, Design Engineering

Wrote on mechanical design, robotics, and computer-aided design for 110,000 circulation professional technical publication.  Articles were the publication’s most-read.

NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE:

THE JOURNAL-COURIER, New Haven, CT  (1978-1979)

THE JOURNAL INQUIRER, Manchester, CT  (1977-1979)

THE HARTFORD TRIBUNE, Hartford, CT  (1976-1977)

THE LEADER, East Hartford, CT  (1976)

THE HARTFORD TIMES, Hartford, CT  (1975-1976)

Reporter, theater and book reviewer, copy editor

EDUCATION:

STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Hoboken, NJ (1981)

Ph.D. program, theoretical physics (no degree)

YALE COLLEGE, New Haven, CT  (1979)

B.A. cum laude, English language and literature. Minor in mathematical physics.

SPECIAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & INTERESTS:

Communication: top-notch writer, particularly on enthusiast and technical topics; popular seminar speaker.

Management: veteran of five start-ups and turn-arounds; strong market insight; fundraising experience and venture capital contacts.

Biopharm: biotechnology / molecular biology / genomics / manufacturing; drug development strategy; online marketing; marketing regulation, including 21CFR11 (US), Drug Marketing Directive (EU) and Data Protection Act (EU); HIPAA; physician databases, including American Medical Association.

Computing: Operating systems: Windows; Linux.  Network administration, and security: Windows ; TCP/IP; SAMBA; Microsoft Exchange. Web administration/ design: Microsoft IIS; Apache; HTML; XML; Database design/operation: Microsoft Access; Microsoft SQL Server; experience with 2-million-plus record real-time relational datasets and reports. Productivity:  very strong Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Publisher, and Word.

Other Personal Interests: Sailing, personal computing, swimming, blacksmithing, photography, canoeing.

Memberships

• IEEE
• IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.
• IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society
• IEEE Communications Society
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (past)
• American Physical Society
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (past)
• New-York Historical Society

Appointments/Honors

• Teaching Assistant, Beginning Blacksmithing, School of Visual Arts Continuing Education Class, Fall 2010.
• Co-Director, PharmTech Event (2006-2007)
• Co-Director, Miami Bio/Technology Winter Symposium, Miami, FL (1988-1993)
• Associate Professor (Adjunct Faculty), Department of Biochemistry, University of Miami Medical School, Miami, FL. (1988-1993)
• Co-Director, PaineWebber Bio/Technology Conference (1987-1993)
• Member, Editorial Committee, American Business Press (1988-1991)
• Keystone Scientist-to-Scientist Symposium, Keystone Center, Keystone, CO. (1994, 1995.)
• Member, Keystone Biotechnology Forum, Keystone Center, Keystone, CO. (1985-1990). (A national policy-discussion group composed of Congressional staffers, business executives, prominent academics, regulatory officials, and public-interest activists.)
• Conference co-director, The Miami Bio/Technology Winter Symposium, Miami, (1988-1993).
• Conference director, Biotech USA, San Francisco, (1988-1992).
• Member, Editorial Committee, American Business Press,  (1988-1991)
• Conference director, Agbiotech International, Washington, D.C., (1989-1990).
• Conference director, “The Molecular Biology of Human Disease: An Asian Perspective,” Singapore, (October 1987).
• Conference director, The Bio/Technology New Orleans Conference, “Gene Regulation, Receptor Biology, and Protein Design,” New Orleans, (January 1987).
• Conference director, The Bio/Technology New Orleans Conference, “Biotechnology in the Next Decade,” New Orleans, (January 1986).
• Keynote speaker, Council of Biology Editors International Meeting, Vancouver, B.C., (May 1987).
• Invited session chairman, “Trends in Markets for New Biotechnology Products,” Biotechnology in the Pacific Rim, Singapore, (September 1988).
• Invited session chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., (October 1987).
• Invited session chairman, “Voice Recognition,” Design Engineering Conference, Chicago, (April 1981).
• Invited speaker. European Congress of Biotechnology, Copenhagen, (1990).
• Invited speaker, BioFair, Tokyo, (October 1988).
• Invited speaker, Association of Biotechnology Companies Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., (May 1987).
• Invited speaker, National Science Foundation conference on “Cooperation and Competition in the World Economy: Creating New Industries,” San Antonio, TX, (April 1986).
• Invited speaker, American Association for the Advancement of Science “2061 Project” panel on education for technology, (March 1986)
• Yale Scholar [scholarship], (1969-1970)
• Yale Directed Studies Program (1969-1970)