Throughout his more than 10 years at BioMarin, Donnie Mackenzie has always felt a profound sense of urgency to help discover and develop new therapeutic options for people living with rare genetic conditions. 

But while attending a scientific conference several years ago, Donnie was struck by the words of a rare disease patient advocate, who stressed that even more important than working fast was to “work smart.” 

“That’s always resonated with me, because a lot of times we’re trying to get to the next Investigational New Drug (IND), get to the next Biologics License Application (BLA), get to the next molecule, but really we want to provide the smartest, most optimal solution,” Donnie says.  

Those words continue to inform how Donnie, now an Associate Director of Musculoskeletal Research, approaches his everyday work helping to bring forward medicines for people living with skeletal and bone conditions. Donnie is the latest to share his perspective as part of our Signature Science series, which examines how BioMarin employees make their mark on the company’s breakthrough science. 

Inspired by exceptional teachers, Donnie started his career on the pre-med path, but he soon discovered his true calling was in research. 

“I had some really great teachers growing up,” Donnie recalls. “I still wanted to solve the problems that the clinicians were trying to solve and provide options for patients. And so, I decided to take the research route. My first foray into research was in a rare metabolic bone condition lab, working on opportunities to try to provide therapeutic interventions for children. That eventually led me to my current position here at BioMarin.” 

Donnie and his team are helping advance groundbreaking research in rare skeletal and bone conditions, such as achondroplasia, hypochondroplasia and ENPP1-deficiency. Donnie says what sets BioMarin apart in this work is the company’s longstanding expertise, agility and relentless focus on pursuing truly transformative medicines. 

“We leave no stone unturned, we take multiple approaches,” Donnie says. “You want to try to learn and adapt as needed to provide the best options. When a program doesn’t succeed, it’s heartbreaking. However, it’s just the first step and we think about what’s next.” 

After more than a decade at BioMarin, Donnie says his motivation remains clear. His work is defined by a commitment to meet any challenge that may arise, knowing that families are counting on him. 

“We definitely want to rise to the challenge,” he says. “Because in the end, there are families waiting for us to provide the best-in-class option for them.”