Photo credits: Pfizer

By Steve Sears

For Wayne residents Amanda Gryzmolowicz and Patrick DeMarinis, little did they know at the beginning of 2020 that each would play a key role in aiding the creation of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.

Gryzmolowicz, as the Informatics Operations Lead, was intimately involved in the development of the data systems required to support the clinical validation of the vaccine. “I worked on a daily basis with both the business (the Pfizer Scientists) and our software engineers to make sure scientific requirements were accurate, and that the systems accurately reflected the work being performed by our laboratories,” says the 2010 Ramapo College grad who attended DePaul Catholic High School. “Without our LIMS and SAS applications, it would not have been possible to receive and process the tens of thousands of samples that we tested

in record time in order to get our vaccine out to the public as quickly as possible.”

DeMarinis, who joined Pfizer after his graduation from Ramapo in 2019 and is an Informatics Validation Engineer, adds in a Ramapo College interview, “Things were busy, to say the least. I think everyone knew the importance could have and was totally committed to it. Sure, there was a lot to get done, but I was really thrilled to see how people helped each other out and came together to make it all happen. I am a part of the Research Informatics group, among many things, handling the systems that store, process, and transfer the data that the labs use. My main role is in validating and supporting those systems. I was excited, proud, and relieved. A lot of hard work went into it, and everyone was hoping for a good outcome. It was amazing to see all of that effort pay off.”

The FDA approved the vaccine in early December, 2020.

For Gryzmolowicz, who has been fascinated by science since she was a youngster and had worked at her father’s dental practice since childhood, there was a personal connection to the vaccine creation. “For me, one of my most important driving forces was my family, specifically my grandmother (Nana). My family means the world to me, and I was in constant fear for their safety throughout the height of the pandemic, especially those who were at high-risk. Having my family in mind throughout my work days kept me motivated and focused on the mission.”

2020, she says, was a crazy year, and all at Pfizer were under great pressure to accomplish something that had never been done before. “Not only was this the first mRNA vaccine,” she says, “but we were also looking to push it through clinical trials in record time while ensuring that we made no compromises on quality. I have to say that from a work perspective, this was absolutely one of the most challenging years in my professional career.”

When the efficacy numbers for the vaccine were unveiled, everyone at the Pearl River, New York site was ecstatic. “All that hard work and sacrifice had finally paid off,” Gryzmolowicz says. “We had potentially saved countless lives, and been able to play a key role in helping returning a shuttered world to a sense of normalcy. While it was quite possibly the most difficult year in my life, it was undoubtedly also the most rewarding!”

As was this. “As soon as the vaccine was available,” she states, “I was frantically refreshing my multiple webpages to land my Nana a vaccine appointment. I cannot explain the happiness I felt when I brought her to receive her first COVID-19 shot.”