Take Ten with Team HPNE: Meet Eddie Hannon
We recently sat down with Technical Product Manager Eddie Hannon to learn more about his role at HPNE, his product lines, and how he approaches a healthy work-life balance.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you find your way to the biotechnology industry?
I have always been interested in science, specifically biology and chemistry, which led me to get my undergraduate degree in biology at Tufts University. At the same time, I have always been goal oriented and attracted to working in a strong and supportive team environment. When I discovered the opportunity to work at HPNE, I found that I could utilize my passion for science and desire for a collaborative environment, to work supporting teams leading change in the biotech industry.
You are a Technical Product Manager at HPNE. Could you tell us a little more about the products you represent and how you believe they are keeping up with the evolving industry, especially in the mRNA space?
I represent four total product lines, including HPConnexx® single-use assemblies, an upstream technology with Univercells Technologies Bioreactor Systems, downstream chromatography with BIA Separations solutions, and our C-CIT glucose & lactate inline sensors.
The mRNA space is consistently coming across new findings on RNA structure, orientation, and sensitivity. The biopharma industry is rapidly changing through these continuous developments, resulting in improvements of the products companies provide to the market, like ours. Solutions are evolving all the time and becoming more tailored, including the products I am working with everyday.
You mentioned the Univercells Technologies bioreactor line, could you tell us how this product pushes the industry forward?
The greatest differentiator of the Univercells Technologies bioreactor line is its structured fixed-bed. This significantly improves cell distribution and run homogeneity, which is a drawback of other adherent systems on the market that utilize non-structured adherent matrices. Additionally, Univercells fills the void in scalability, so you can work predictably from R&D through to the manufacturing level.
Univercells Technologies addresses all of the issues discovered in other adherent systems in this next generation design. It is an incredibly exciting product that we are proud to represent in the US Market.
In addition to the bioreactor line, you also mentioned the BIA Separations chromatography line for large molecule purification. Could you tell us a little more about how this product differentiates itself in the market?
Monolithic chromatography is not quite considered a standard chromatography solution that you would find taught in a classroom, or a lab twenty years ago. However, in the last 5 years, the technology has exploded alongside the boom in gene therapy. BIA’s monolithic design maintains highly competitive productivity and minimizes processing time without sacrificing capacity or resolution. In addition to that, it’s multi-use and cost efficient, and you don’t have to pack the columns, as they come pre-packed.
What are you most proud of in your career thus far?
HPNE gave me the invaluable opportunity to jump into a non-entry level position directly out of school when I felt like the job search was going to be endless. Through this opportunity I had to take on a lot of responsibility rather quickly, but I am proud of how I have handled and continue to handle all that comes with this position. That's not to say that I have done everything perfectly in this role since I started, but each misstep or mistake has been an invaluable learning opportunity.
Furthermore, I am proud of the relationships that I have been able to grow not only within #TeamHPNE, but also with the diverse range of professionals within the industry that I get to work with and support every day.
Since you have been at HPNE, what would you attribute most to the company's growth?
To grow as a company, I believe you need a team that is willing to change and offer their malleability through times of rapid development, which we have all seen in the last couple years here. HPNE is a team of quick learners that are enthusiastic for the future, and I know we are excited to see what the company will grow into five to ten years from now. Our team is not only knowledgeable in the products that we sell and develop, but we recognize the need for innovation and strive towards it everyday.
Outside of work, what are you most passionate about, and how do you maintain a work life balance?
Outside of work, I am most passionate about music and am the drummer in a band called Angelus Hall. I have always played the drums and guitar, but during college I found I didn’t really have the time to pursue it with the academic workload and being on the hockey team at Tufts. As I have gotten better at maintaining a work-life balance outside of school, I have been able to find time to manage this dichotomy. I am able to make sure all of my time is utilized appropriately for my career and also my hobbies.
It can be difficult to maintain a work-life balance, and it is something I struggled with at times as I have made the transition to the working world. The most important lesson I have learned is that you need to be disciplined to know when your mind needs to be focused on priorities. I have to make sure I am using my time productively because I am busy all the time. Ultimately, the only way I can really sustain everything is staying determined and enthusiastic, and reminding myself that finding success in anything isn’t easy, but if your career and passions make you happy, it’s worth the juggling act.
What do you think the future of the biotech industry looks like in the next 5-10 years?
The industry is constantly discovering new solutions to combat disease. At the same time, the continuous research is also finding complications and nuances to diseases that constantly require new approaches. I think it is extremely hard to say what this industry will look like even in the near future, but I can imagine the gene and cell therapy market will continue to grow exponentially, and I think there will be a variety of new approaches in this sector that will be feasible and effective.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
As I continue through my second year at HPNE, I am most excited to see if I can maintain the level of success I had in my first year. Outside of work, I am most excited to continue diving into adulthood and starting life in a great position, doing everything that I love to do. Most importantly, I am just excited to see who I am by the end of 2023.
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About HPNE
As the industry needs grow, High Purity New England, Inc. continues to supply the biopharmaceutical industry with a range of innovative products, from drug discovery and development to fill-finish, including their flagship product, custom single-use assemblies, as well as pumps, sensors, bioreactor systems, storage and handling solutions and other single-use solutions. Along with their own manufactured products for the global market, they are also a distributor for more than 18 brands in North America.
