2004 Major: Biology; 2009 Ph.D., Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
"I graduated back in 2004. Through my coursework in Biology classes, I learned the basic laboratory techniques I needed to be able to get a job as a research assistant, and to this day I believe I understand the fundamentals better than most. Through the broad selection of courses I had access to at Duke, I also discovered a love of microbiology and genetics, and was able to graduate with distinction by completing a project in a lab in MGM and also with a concentration in genetics. I didn’t stop there. I went on to get a PhD in MGM at Duke, then completed postdoctoral fellowships at the CDC and in the pharmaceutical industry. I’ve had a big public health impact by leading the development of better influenza vaccines, and am now getting back to my roots in genetics setting up how to edit the genome ex vivo or in vivo to cure cancer or genetic diseases. I’ve seen products I helped create go into people."
"Think ahead to what you see yourself doing after you graduate and get to know what types of jobs you can do with the skills that you’re learning. With biological products exploding in the pharmaceutical industry, you can do almost anything you can imagine. I’ve worked all over the world but am now back in NC because it’s one of the hottest biotech areas now. It’s right on your doorstep. The name recognition from a school like Duke will help you but you should find ways to get experience in labs wherever you can, and working in groups not all on your own. Then also know that your whole career might not be in a lab. I was out of the lab and into management and then leadership roles quickly. Soft skills matter too - in a real job it’s not about defending the approach you’ve chosen to take, it’s about involving others in how to approach things in a team, where you might be the smartest one in the room but everyone else has valuable knowledge and deserves to have their voice heard. Learning how to influence people is what makes or breaks careers for scientists. And set your ego aside. You’re smart and you think quick, but that only means you’ll come to the right or the wrong conclusion faster than others! Share your thought process, let others in to guide you, seek feedback and overall the work you do will have a better chance of success."
Department of Biology