Guided by Great Mentors, Jennifer McCafferty Blazes a Path from Carolina to Global Leadership
As senior vice president at Merck Research Laboratories, Jennifer McCafferty, in white jacket, oversees a global team of more than 900 employees, guiding regulatory strategy and quality assurance across both R&D and manufacturing.
October 17, 2025 I By Dave DeFusco
When Jennifer McCafferty took her first chemistry class in high school, she was captivated by a teacher who made science come alive with colorful reactions and explosive demonstrations, which sparked not only her curiosity but set her on a path that would carry her from the classroom to the highest levels of the global biopharmaceutical industry.
“I was always curious about how things worked,” said McCafferty, “but chemistry really drew me in. There was something fascinating about trying to understand what was happening at the molecular level and why reactions behaved the way they did.”
After excelling in her undergraduate studies at Colgate, McCafferty imagined herself as a high school chemistry teacher, following in the footsteps of her family of educators. But a trusted professor recognized her potential and urged her to consider graduate school. Despite initial doubts, she was the first in her family to pursue advanced education, applying to and being accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill. It was a decision that would define her future.
Carolina quickly became more than a place to earn a Ph.D.—it was a community. She vividly remembers the sense of belonging she felt in the Department of Chemistry, particularly as a young woman entering a male-dominated field.
“In 1991, seeing four women on the faculty and a strong group of female graduate students made a huge impression on me,” she said. “Carolina Chemistry had this remarkable sense of collegiality. It was collaborative, supportive and welcoming. That environment made all the difference.”
Her advisor, Professor Emeritus Mark Wightman, became one of the most influential mentors of her career. Under his guidance, she pursued promising research on neurotransmission, using electrochemistry and fluorescence microscopy to study how cells secrete adrenaline. Wightman not only nurtured her scientific curiosity but also encouraged her to broaden her horizons, sending her to collaborate at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Kansas and urging her to present her work at national conferences.
“Mark encouraged me to do everything I possibly could—collaborate, travel, publish, present,” she said. “He opened doors that shaped my career and gave me the confidence to step into new spaces.”
After earning her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, McCafferty launched a career that would span nearly three decades at Merck and GlaxoSmithKline. She began in analytical sciences, but soon made the bold decision to move into manufacturing operations—a step that broadened her understanding of the biopharmaceutical enterprise.
“That decision may not have looked like the obvious next step for a Ph.D. chemist, but it gave me perspective on how medicines actually get to patients,” she said. “I got to work alongside people across the spectrum—operators on the manufacturing floor, quality control chemists, regulatory teams—and that appreciation of the full ecosystem of drug development and delivery was invaluable.”
Her willingness to step outside her comfort zone propelled her into a series of senior leadership roles, overseeing Merck’s global network of contract manufacturers, scaling vaccine and biologics supply and ultimately leading regulatory CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) and R&D quality assurance for the company. Today, as senior vice president at Merck Research Laboratories, she oversees a global team of more than 900 employees, guiding regulatory strategy and quality assurance across both R&D and manufacturing.
At every stage, McCafferty emphasizes, mentors have played a critical role. Early in her career, a member of Merck’s Women’s Network offered McCafferty practical advice on balancing career and family—lessons she still carries with her today.
“What makes a great mentor is genuine curiosity about what makes you tick,” she said. “The best mentors don’t try to mold you into their image; they help you become the best version of yourself.”
As a mentor herself, she has worked tirelessly to open doors for others, championing talent development and supporting the next generation of leaders. Her efforts earned her recognition in 2023 as a “luminary” by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.
Still, she acknowledges that women continue to face systemic hurdles in science and leadership, whether it’s navigating male-dominated fields, managing the dual burdens of career and family or finding sponsors willing to advocate for them. For McCafferty, the key has been persistence, performance and building strong networks of allies and mentors.
“If you deliver great results, people will want to help you succeed,” she said. “But you also need people around you—mentors, sponsors, colleagues—who see your potential and open doors for you.”
When asked what she considers her greatest achievement, McCafferty doesn’t point to a title or a single project. Instead, she highlights impact on patients and on people.
“I’m most proud of making a difference in the world through the medicines I’ve helped bring to patients, especially vaccines, and through the culture I’ve built in the organizations I’ve led,” she said. “Creating an environment where people feel included, where they can do their best work and build meaningful careers, that’s what matters most.”
Her pride also extends back to Chapel Hill. Serving on Carolina’s Chemistry Department Executive Advisory Board and the Board of Visitors, she continues to support the institution that shaped her own journey.
“To this day, I feel such gratitude for Carolina Chemistry. The faculty, the collegial environment, the mentorship—it all set me up for success,” she said. “I want today’s students to know that they, too, can go out into the world and make a real impact. If you have a passion for science, a drive to make a difference and the courage to pursue new opportunities, there’s no limit to where you can go.”