Consultant Spotlight - September 2021

How long have you been with miLEAD? 

Since November 2020, so almost a year.

What is the focus of your research?

My lab focuses on using machine learning and computational modeling approaches to understand variability in the immune response to infection, vaccination, and injury. The goal of my current project is to identify proteomic signatures which can help predict disease progression in chronic lung diseases.

What are your career goals? 

I am currently still deciding whether I want to continue scientific research in industry or take a less traditional route like healthcare consulting or medical illustration.

What roles have you played on projects? 

To date, I have had the opportunity to act as a consultant on two projects. Throughout these experiences, I have had the chance to partake in a variety of diverse activities, from indulging my creative energies while creating new marketing strategies for miLEAD on an in-house project, to generating a research-focused white paper and conducting primary interviews with key opinion leaders for a molecular diagnostics company. In the future, I look forward to stepping up into a leadership role as a project manager.

What led you to seek out milead?

I was looking for opportunities to increase my leadership experience and exposure to non-academic careers. miLEAD was an attractive option as it provided opportunities to enhance both of those skill sets and came with stellar recommendations from other students and alumni in my department.

Since joining miLEAD, what skills have you been able to develop?

Through miLEAD I have gained so much exposure to a more business-centric toolset that can often be far removed in an academic experience. The fast-paced and collaborative environment has also allowed me to improve my confidence in efficiently communicating my research and ideas.

What has been one of your most rewarding experiences thus far working with miLEAD? 

During one of my projects, my team and I conducted primary interviews with clinicians to learn about the current gaps in clinical diagnostics and synthesize those findings as recommendations for future areas of innovation to our client. During this experience, I enjoyed bridging the gaps between science and industry communication, by using my technical background to highlight profitable needs in medical diagnostic platforms.