She was drawn to the opportunity to help address conditions such as food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
“I thought to myself, imagine helping so many people who are impacted by food allergies or IBD, IBS and how many of those conditions occur because of the intestinal barrier integrity and that there is something that can really help come to the market quickly, a butyrate-producing probiotic and we can get it to the market with a different regulatory pathway,” she said. “I knew I was in. I was hooked.”
Reflecting on her career, Shah said she firmly believes that no one moment or job defines where someone is going. “There are multiple milestones that will help us get there and for me, probably the first moment is when I program led a team at Baxter for a new product focusing on primary immune deficiency and we had to go in front of the FDA at an advisory council meeting. Baxter won 15 to 1 – and we did this as a team.”
One of her most meaningful experiences came when a mother thanked her for helping develop a treatment that improved her daughter’s life, reinforcing the real-world impact of healthcare innovation.
The conversation also explored women’s representation in leadership roles across biotech and life sciences. Shah said that while progress has been made with more women serving on boards and in executive positions, there remains a noticeable drop-off as women advance through management ranks. She encouraged organizations to better support women pursuing leadership opportunities while balancing personal and professional responsibilities.
As a mother and CEO, Shah rejects the idea of achieving perfect balance at all times. Instead, she focuses on being fully present wherever her attention is needed, whether at work or with family.
“There are moments when I need to give to my daughters, my husband, my parents and then there are times when I need to give more to work,” she said. “The important thing for me is to remember that I’ve established these relationships and when you’re in the moment with your job or your family or your friends, you need to be fully present.”
