Dr Evans is Director of Pharmacology at Merck Research Laboratories USA, the research arm of Merck Sharp & Dohme NZ Ltd’s US parent company, Merck & Co.

The daughter of a district school’s principal, Dr Evans was born in Northland and attended rural schools in northern Hawkes Bay, Waiheke Island and Onewhero (north west of Hamilton).

"The sense of wonder and passion for learning started very young in me. It was nurtured and encouraged by my parents and two special teachers I had at Onewhero," she told the American Chamber of Commerce in a speech in Auckland in November 2000.

A science teacher Neil Akehurst toiled to build a large double helix model to illustrate the structure of the building blocks of life. "This was incredibly inspiring. As a little fourth former, I didn’t understand DNA or the genetic basis of life. But what I saw was this teacher with passion in his eyes, trying to communicate this to us."

In recent years, Dr Evans has linked up with Mr Akehurst, now a department head at Rangitoto College, at science promotion events she has hosted for secondary students.

In the sixth form at Onewhero in 1969, Dr Evans studied Chemistry by correspondence from an equally inspiring teacher, Mrs Jean Struthers.

"Tapes would come from Wellington every week. I never met her, but her voice was lovely. She described the composition of water in all its forms with such passion, and she was very encouraging. We kept in touch through my early years at University."

In 2000, Dr Evans finally met Mrs Struthers, who was 101 years old at the time, living in an elderly care institution in Christchurch. "It was very special to finally meet her, and find her so alert and encouraging. It was a graphic illustration to me that the valuable knowledge-empowered individuals of tomorrow are today's students waiting to be excited, educated and inspired."

Jilly obtained her BSc and MSc (Ist class honours) from Auckland University in Cell Biology in 1972 and 1974, respectively, collecting several top scholar awards along the way.

She studied under Dr Michael Smith (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1993) to obtain her Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, Canada, in Biochemistry in 1978. After postdoctoral studies in Biochemistry at McGill University, Montreal, Jilly joined Merck’s Canadian research division in 1983.

Jilly was a key member of highly successful teams which discovered and developed new human health medicines in the areas of arthritis and asthma treatment. The anti-leukotriene anti-asthma pill Singulair was first to market, followed in the last two years by a new COX-2 inhibitor, the anti-arthritic & pain medicine VIOXX.

She moved to Merck Sharp & Dohme’s West Point facility in Pennsylvania in 1998 to become a director in the Health Genetics department, focusing on identifying key protein receptors to target with drugs. Jilly is now a Director in the Department of Pharmacology at Merck West Point and is involved in a range of basic research projects and communicating with medical audiences.

In 1999, Jilly and her colleagues at Merck and the University of Virginia succeeded in the cloning and characterisation of the GPCR target of Singulair, namely the CysLT1 receptor. In 2000, with other colleagues she achieved a step change in research targeting heart disease receptors.

Dr Evans has almost 100 published papers and chapters in international science journals and literature, and has lectured and spoken extensively over the past 20 years. She was Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry, at McGill University from 1992-1998.

In recent years, she has returned to New Zealand on several occasions to host a number of inspirational events for secondary and tertiary students, as part of MSD New Zealand’s science promotion programme.

In 1999, she shared a stage with DJ Mikey Havoc, and in March 2001 addressed 450 senior students at an event in the banquet hall of the Beehive. At the eve of the Catch the Knowledge Wave conference, Dr Evans addressed more than 1500 students at two major Auckland schools.

Jilly visited NZ again in July 2002 where she attended many speaking appointments, met with doctors and specialists and promoted science to secondary school and university students. She was also profiled for the TVNZ ‘Sunday’ programme, a story which began filming recently in New Jersey where she lives and works for Merck. The film crew joined her at her old secondary school visit and also at her visit to Avondale College.

Jilly is enthusiastic about the progress New Zealand can make if industry, politicians and the education sector work together.  "We must be able to work from our strengths in agriculture, for instance, to develop a biotech sector. And I am confident there is a good opportunity for us to target medical research as a growth industry over the next 10 years. Looking at the big picture, we need to innovate, create value, protect and exploit that value then re-invest for new innovation."

As medical science offers up new benefits and complex questions in the field of human health, she stresses the responsibility faced by scientists and their organisations to communicate.

"It’s not easy but it’s necessary. It’s imperative that scientists become more open and transparent. They must engage in new and exciting ways, be authentic and discuss risk. There is so much good that is being done and not being talked about. The ability to diagnose early, for example. There are a growing list of diseases which otherwise would kill children at a young age if it were not for our improving understanding of genes. There is a great story to be told in genetics and it needs to be delivered with passion."

For more information, please contact Phil Johnstone, Corporate Affairs Associate Director, Merck Sharp & Dohme (NZ) Ltd, direct 523 6116, or email phil_johnstone@merck.com

11-04-GEN-03-NZ-4250-O

TAPS NA8593

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