Mary Anne Heino wins Lifetime Achievement Award at BWB ceremony

BioProcess International hosted the 2024 Biotech Week Boston awards ceremony on September 23 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The awards celebrated the best achievements in the industry over the past year and were hosted by four-time Olympian Chaunté Lowe who won her personal battle with breast cancer while continuing to compete in international high jump events. 

During her monologue before awards were presented, Lowe shared words that her grandmother had imparted upon her as a child. “The life that you are living right now does not necessarily have to dictate the life that you live in the future.” 

That wisdom served as a reminder to the value of perseverance and determination through difficult times, serving as inspiration during Lowe’s bouts with homelessness and later cancer. And while the evening’s winners may not have done so in the face of such existential adversity, their accomplishments embodied the will and determination needed to bring important innovations to the industry. 

The categories and winners were announced after a three-course dinner by a mix of respected industry professionals and judges: 

Arthur Krieg from the UMass Chan Medical School RNA Therapeutics Institute, who served as a judge for awards, presented Mary Anne Heino with the Lifetime Achievement Award. “The judges chose this winner because [of her] impressive track record of scientific contributions, compassionate leadership, revenue achievements, and patient-focused approach.” 

The Awards were presented by four-time Olympian Chaunté Lowe

“My biggest honor is to be among the finalists that you saw and to be chosen for this award,” said Heino, who was nominated alongside David Kahn, John Carpenter, John Curling, Laura Johnson, Liang Schweizer, Prabu Nambiar, and Tim Charlebois. “I have been consistently surrounded by people of amazing talent who let me be me and be the true nerd that I am to work as hard as I do at anything I do.” 

The evening concluded with a Casino Night fundraiser where attendants could purchase and place bets with chips to support Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization created to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.