Who better than a PhD to Market Science?!

How does a hardcore biochemist with a penchant for microscopy become a marketing writer for a large software firm?  The answer lies in carefully pursuing your passions, coupled with a strong belief in your abilities.

I was an inventor, investigator, researcher and protocol designer from an early age.  My explorations taught me that though I loved scientific inquiry, I enjoyed interactions with new people and novel ideas even more.  As I pursued a career, I thought deeply about how to combine these.  My wonder at extracting the DNA from raspberries, coupled with the formaldehyde smell that permeated my leather jacket from the extra hours I spent with our ‘cat’ (all experienced in high school Advanced Placement Biology Class) was my beacon.

I pursued a BS in Biology from a private liberal arts university.  I joined Student Government, becoming Student Body President for two years, and was active with the Alumni Association, meeting influential and interesting scientists who further helped me define my path.  Each summer in college, I obtained NIH or private foundation funding to pursue externships in scientific research.  What an opportunity to do something novel, and contribute!

As a senior year in college, I worked as an intern at a biotech company, Cellomics.  While working, I befriended a scientist who oversaw many types of scientific projects and coordinated them all.  She contributed to all intellectually, but did not have to participate in the mundane details of any single one, or wait on a gel to run.  She was free to think about ALL of the projects and explore next steps.  I had my mission.  I would obtain a PhD and leave academia for a job in industry where I could be involved in big picture science.  Before I started my PhD, I knew my plans did not include a career in academia.

The next step was a PhD at the University of Pittsburgh.  The focus was on biochemistry, specifically kinetics of Kinesin motor proteins.   Obtaining the PhD was the hardest thing I have ever been through.  It was also the most rewarding.  You likely have had a similar experience. 

If graduate school teaches one thing, it is that a human truly can do anything.  This became important when I made a career change.  Graduate school trains you in your particular field, but you also learn to think logically, scientifically and deeply.  You learn to question boldly.  You must synthesize abstract ideas, put them into actionable tests, and present them to diverse audiences.  I was learning to market my science.  No matter what career path you pursue, these lessons will make you an asset.  The discipline that the PhD taught, the humility and the confidence in the face of challenge, are lessons rarely learned.  I use these every day.

I reveled in the three months I was given to write my thesis.  It was pure bliss.  A world of writing about synthesized scientific topics opened to me, and I began to think that, instead of advising and coordinating scientific projects, I would pursue writing about science.  I modified my mission to help bridge the communication and knowledge gaps that exist between innovative technology and science, and those wishing to advance the quality of life for humanity.  My research, analytical, writing, communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills were honed for a career in medical and scientific communication where I could most effectively achieve this goal.

While pursuing postdoctoral work, I became convinced that the lab work was a distraction from my newly refined mission.  I chose to leave the lab, and took a job with a start-up chemical company as a scientific liaison.  What was impressive at this time was the absolute support that I received from all of my PhD friends and mentors.  They supported the decision to leave and pursue a career in industry.  I was never made to feel bad for leaving a field in which I contributed and excelled.

The scientific liaison position offered great insight to the world of industry.  The company eventually went under, and I needed to determine what my next career move would be.  I knew that my love, passion and talent lay in writing and in synthesizing scientific topics.  So, I formed a scientific and medical communications company, and took on writing small grants and brochures for companies that even remotely touched on science. I joined Linked In.  A recruiter for Microsoft, looking for a grant writer, found my profile.  Microsoft is in the process of expanding their health and life sciences software products.  My writing style was what they were looking for!

I was hired to write applications for customers working hard to secure American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding.  However, my writing gained positive attention from the sales force.  My writing now includes White Papers for customers, proactive proposals that introduce our products to new customers, and responses to requests for proposals.  It supports products that are innovative in connecting disparate data sources, bringing them together in an intelligent and intuitive way for further scientific or medical exploration.  The science background helps me to look at our customers’ research and business, clarify how our products will help their specific area of research, and improve their business.  Being able to discuss science, any type of science, with other PhDs or MDs interested in our products, is something for which the sales force repeatedly expresses appreciation.  I believe in the products I promote through my writing, and, more importantly, the science they can help improve.  Who better to market science or scientific products than a scientist?!