Consultant Spotlight - April 2023

How long have you been with miLEAD? 

I have been with miLEAD for about a year; I started in April 2022.

What is the focus of your research?

I generate patient-derived organoids to, in a multi-omics approach, predict drug efficacy and toxicity in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and drug-induced liver injury.

What roles have you played on projects? 

I have been a consultant on two exciting projects where for one project my team performed secondary research to identify areas of interest for a product concept and for another project determined the most applicable area to continue development for a new drug product.

What led you to seek out milead?

As a medicinal chemist with a background in pharmacy, I was well-versed in the drug discovery and development pipeline from a bench to bedside perspective. However, I was eager to delve deeper into the decision-making process that drives this pipeline forward and fosters success from a business standpoint. Given that miLEAD collaborates with various life sciences firms, I recognized that this program would offer me the opportunity to articulate risk-to-benefit ratios to stakeholders and play a significant role in the business aspect of life sciences.

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

Participating in miLEAD has enabled me to acquire a range of valuable skills that I may not have otherwise developed during my graduate studies. Specifically, I have honed my abilities in business language and communication, presenting data that is relevant and comprehensible to stakeholders, and offering recommendations for successful outcomes to clients. In addition, miLEAD has afforded me the opportunity to refine my problem-solving skills for diverse applications. The capacity to identify the most appropriate avenue to address a given issue is a fundamental necessity in research, and one that motivated me to pursue graduate studies. Through miLEAD, I have expanded upon this skill and can now identify the questions that our clients seek to answer. As a consultant, I can begin to address these questions or, as a project manager, guide a team in approaching them.

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

During one of my recent projects, I identified a compelling application for a new drug product that would confer exclusivity to our client within the targeted market segment. Witnessing the clients enthusiastic response to this finding was the most gratifying experience I have had thus far in miLEAD. This achievement has inspired me to continue delivering equally captivating results to future clients.