Jane Shaw Carpenter is a scientist, philanthropist and former business executive at Alza Corporation and Aerogen.[1] She is a co-inventor of the scopolamine transdermal patch, a novel drug delivery system to treat motion sickness. Her research team also developed patches to administer nitroglycerin and estrogen.[2][3] Shaw Carpenter holds at least seven patents as a result of her research work.[3] She has received multiple awards, including the Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement award, when she received with her husband Peter F. Carpenter.[2]
Early life and education
Jane Elizabeth Shaw grew up in the village of Upton Warren in Worcestershire, England.[4] She attended a two-room school at Upton Warren until she was nine, when she began classes at Worcester. After graduation, she spent a year working at a hospital. She then entered the University of Birmingham. She received both a bachelor's of science in physiology (1961) and a doctorate in physiology (1963) at Birmingham.[1][5] Her thesis work laid a basis for her future work on adhesive patches for drug delivery through the skin. [2]
Career
In 1964,[6] Shaw accepted a two-year post doctoral research position at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, which was extended to six years. In 1970, the Worcester team was recruited by Alejandro Zaffaroni to join Alza in Palo Alto, California.[1][2][4] Zaffaroni started the pharmaceutical company in 1968 to investigate methods for controlled drug delivery systems.[7]
At Alza, Shaw became a product leader[4] and co-inventor of the scopolamine transdermal patch to treat motion sickness.[3] The first patent for the product was filed in 1977, with credit to John Urquhart, Kumar Chandrasekaran and Jane Shaw.[8] Her team also developed transdermal patches for the delivery of nitroglycerin for angina and estrogen, used in hormonal replacement therapy.[2] Shaw holds at least seven patents as a result of her research work.[3]
While working at Alza, Shaw met and married her husband, Peter F. Carpenter, who also worked at Alza.[2] She eventually moved from research to management, serving variously as vice president of product research and development, executive vice president, the chairman of the board of Alza UK, and finally President and COO of Alza from 1987–1994.[4][1]
In 1998, Shaw Carpenter joined Aerogen, which developed controlled delivery systems for deploying drugs to the lungs. She helped to develop pulmonary drug delivery systems including inhaled insulin for diabetic patients and antibiotics for lung infections.[2][6] She served as Aerogen's Chairman and CEO through 2005, and later became U.S. chair of its Scientific Advisory Board.[4]
Shaw Carpenter served on the Board of Directors of Intel Corporation from 1993–2012. She was personally invited to join the board by Gordon Moore. From 2009–2012, she was Chairman of the Board of Intel, the first woman to hold that position.[9]
Shaw Carpenter also served on the Board of Directors of OfficeMax Inc. (1994–2006), Talima (2007–2011), McKesson (1992–2014) and Yahoo (2014–2017).[10][6]
“As you reflect back, doors open. And, if you’re curious, you walk through.” Jane Shaw Carpenter.
[4]
Philanthropic work
Shaw Carpenter has served on the board of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford,[10] and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.[11][2] She has been a trustee and board chair[12] of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. (The Dean of Grace Cathedral is also named Jane Shaw.)[4][13]
The Carpenters support educational initiatives in California, Tanzania, and Bhutan via the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF).[14]
Personal life
Shaw Carpenter is married to Peter Fredrick Carpenter,[15] with whom she shares one son, Jonathan.[16][1]
Awards and honors
- 1990, Fellow, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists[5]
- 1993, Athena Award, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce[17]
- 1994, Founders Award, Alza Corporation[5]
- 2002, Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs[5]
- 2009, Outstanding Woman of Silicon Valley[2]
- 2010, ODX Outstanding Director Award, Outstanding Directors Exchange[18]
- 2013, Outstanding Director Award, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (LPCH)[10]
- 2016, Bay Area Business Hall of Fame, Bay Area Council[19]
- 2023, Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement award.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Enkelis, Liane; Olsen, Karen; Lewenstein, Marion (1995). On Our Own Terms: Portraits of Women Business Leaders. Berrett-Koehler. pp. 72–81. ISBN 1881052699. https://books.google.com/books?id=Naqg7Y4u_5MC&dq=jane%20e.%20shaw%20alza&pg=PA72.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Lorenz, Elizabeth (2023-05-05). "From motion-sickness patch to IUD consent form, Peninsula couple changed the pharmaceuticals world" (in en-US). https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2023/05/05/from-motion-sickness-patch-to-iud-consent-form-peninsula-couple-changed-the-pharmaceuticals-world/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lorenz, Elizabeth (5 May 2023). "Peter Carpenter and Jane Shaw Carpenter". Palo Alto Online. https://www.paloaltoonline.com/uncategorized/2023/05/05/peter-carpenter-and-jane-shaw-carpenter/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Hubbard, Linda (30 May 2013). "Jane Shaw reflects on her research and corporate career as she moves to the world of non-profits". InMenlo. https://inmenlo.com/2013/05/30/jane-shaw-reflects-on-her-research-and-corporate-career-as-she-moves-to-the-world-of-non-profits/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Commencement Brochure 2010". https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35205784?seq=3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Aerogen leadership team: supporting world-leading vibrating mesh nebuliser technology for aerosol drug respiratory therapy". https://www.aerogen.com/about/leadership.
- ↑ "NIHF Inductee Alejandro Zaffaroni Invented Drug Delivery Systems" (in en). 15 October 2025. https://www.invent.org/inductees/alejandro-zaffaroni.
- ↑ "Method and therapeutic system for administering scopolamine transdermally". https://patents.google.com/patent/US4262003.
- ↑ "Explore Intel’s history- Shaw Retires". https://timeline.intel.com/2012/shaw-retires.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Board Members at Packard Children’s Receive Recognition as “Outstanding Directors 2013”" (in en-us). March 12, 2013. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/about/news/releases/2013/cranston-shaw-outstanding-directors.html.
- ↑ "Oregon Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors Annual Meeting June 12, 2015". https://www.osfashland.org/~/media/pdf/Company/board-minutes/Board_Minutes_061215.ashx?la=en.
- ↑ "A luminous Carnivale celebration at Grace Cathedral". San Francisco Chronicle. Feb 17, 2015. https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/A-luminous-Carnivale-celebration-at-Grace-6085782.php.
- ↑ Bigelow, Catherine (March 5, 2014). "Grace Cathedral Carnivale delivers $375,000". The San Francisco Chronicle / SFGATE. https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/grace-cathedral-carnivale-delivers-375-000-5288944.php.
- ↑ "DONOR PROFILE – PETER AND JANE SHAW CARPENTER". https://www.venturesfoundation.org/customized-grant-making/.
- ↑ "1 Larch Drive, Atherton, CA 94027 | Public Property Record | BlockShopper". https://blockshopper.com/ca/san-mateo-county/atherton/property/061072040/1-larch-drive.
- ↑ "Caroline Nolan and Jonathan Carpenter". The New York Times. 4 September 2005. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/fashion/weddings/caroline-nolan-and-jonathan-carpenter.html.
- ↑ Russell, Alan (3 February 2013). "Mountain View Chamber Athena Award nominations". https://alanrussellpc.blogspot.com/2013/02/mountain-view-chamber-athena-award.html?m=1.
- ↑ "FT-ODX (Outstanding Directors Exchange)". https://na.eventscloud.com/ehome/odx2013/93571/.
- ↑ "71st Annual Dinner & Business Hall of Fame Awards". https://www.bayareacouncil.org/events-2/2016-annual-dinner-business-hall-of-fame-awards/.
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