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Gates Institute is mourning the passing of one of its own staff members – Bertina Minjares, manager of quality control at the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility (GBF). Bertina joined the GBF in 2017 after former colleagues there recruited her.
“The work was innovative, interesting, and wasn’t like any place I had worked in before,” she had said in an employee engagement forum in 2024. “I’m continually blown away by the amazing scientific discoveries that are taking place on this campus and that we get to play a role in advancing some of those discoveries into life-saving therapies.”
She immediately immersed herself in the role and relished the opportunity to have an impact on the advancement of research, say her colleagues.
“Bertina was driven by a deep sense of purpose,” said her manager, GBF Director of Quality Chandresh Undhad. “Every task she took on, she approached with determination and focus, always keeping the bigger mission in mind. She never measured her work only by deadlines or deliverables, but by the impact it could make for others. That is what set her apart.”
Minjares earned her bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Colorado State University. In 2025, she earned her master’s in applied biostatistics from University of Colorado Anschutz.
She enjoyed hiking, backpacking, skiing and biking, as well as numerous sports, from hockey to tennis. She was active in the community, serving as an ambassador at the Denver Zoo and volunteering for the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. This spirit of giving was central to her character.
“She was the kind of person who leaned in when others needed help,” said Undhad. “No matter how much was on her plate, she would step up without hesitation, quietly taking on more to lighten the load for her team. She carried her strength with grace, and her generosity with humility.“
“But beyond her professional excellence, what I will always cherish most is the way she cared for people. She listened, encouraged, and reminded us of our own resilience in moments when we doubted ourselves. Her kindness created ripples far greater than she may have realized, and her absence leaves a space that cannot be filled.”