Consultant Spotlight - October 2024

How long have you been with miLEAD? 

Since March 2023.

What is the focus of your research?

I study early lung development using primary and iPSC-dervied organoid models. Specifically, I am focused on how different regulatory drivers influence the behavior of a novel lung epithelial cell type, which will be informative in our understanding of the developing lung.

What are your current career goals?

I remain open-minded at this point and am interested in conducting research in the biotechnology industry, either at a startup or a more established company. I am also interested in the intersection of business and science, so business development may be a route I look to explore.

What roles have you played on projects? 

I have served on two projects as a consultant, for both primary and secondary research. Each project was 8 weeks and provided ample time to develop different soft skills with each experience being rewarding to complete. Recently I was promoted to a project manager role and look forward to serving as one on a future project.

What led you to seek out miLEAD?

I wanted to gain exposure to non-academic careers, opportunities to network with professionals and like-minded peers, and to further develop as a professional. Working on projects as part of a team was something sought to gain experience in as well.

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

Effective collaboration within a team, communication, and professionalism, among others, are a few that come to mind. Despite not working on projects directly related to my field or in science I have gained transferrable skills that will be valuable in the next step of my career.

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

The overall journey of learning about a topic you have little knowledge about over the duration of a project to presenting recommendations at the conclusion of a project and seeing client reactions is certainly a satisfying process. Additionally, working with peers from diverse backgrounds has also been rewarding, as I have gained valuable insights from them and enjoyed collaborating with a team-oriented group.