"Bench to Boardroom" is on the road! This week, we are in Seattle at the annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting to see some amazing research, catch up with some old friends, and network and make some new ones! Today's conversation is with our friends at the BrightFocus Foundation, Drs. Diane Bovenkamp and Preeti Subramanaian. We talk about the importance of conference travel for young researchers, this week's events that the foundation is sponsoring, and upcoming deadlines for their Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma grants.

The BrightFocus Foundation has awarded nearly $300 million to fund groundbreaking research to help make diseases of the eye and brain a thing of the past. Postdoctoral fellows within 4 years of graduation and New Investigators who are within 10 years of graduation are welcome to apply - even those who already work in industry or other for-profit institutions! This allows opportunities for those pre- and post-grad to pursue their ambitions beyond the traditional paths. Check out their website to learn more about their grant opportunities, deadlines, research they've funded, and how you can contribute. https://www.brightfocus.org/

"Bench to Boardroom" is on the road! This week, we are in Seattle at the annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting to see some amazing research, catch up with some old friends, and network and make some new ones! Today's conversation is with our friends at the BrightFocus Foundation, Drs. Diane Bovenkamp and Preeti Subramanaian. We talk about the importance of conference travel for young researchers, this week's events that the foundation is sponsoring, and upcoming deadlines for their Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma grants.

The BrightFocus Foundation has awarded nearly $300 million to fund groundbreaking research to help make diseases of the eye and brain a thing of the past. Postdoctoral fellows within 4 years of graduation and New Investigators who are within 10 years of graduation are welcome to apply - even those who already work in industry or other for-profit institutions! This allows opportunities for those pre- and post-grad to pursue their ambitions beyond the traditional paths. Check out their website to learn more about their grant opportunities, deadlines, research they've funded, and how you can contribute. https://www.brightfocus.org/

"Bench to Boardroom" is on the road! This week, we are in Seattle at the annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting to see some amazing research, catch up with some old friends, and network and make some new ones! Today's conversation is with our friends at the BrightFocus Foundation, Drs. Diane Bovenkamp and Preeti Subramanaian. We talk about the importance of conference travel for young researchers, this week's events that the foundation is sponsoring, and upcoming deadlines for their Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma grants.

The BrightFocus Foundation has awarded nearly $300 million to fund groundbreaking research to help make diseases of the eye and brain a thing of the past. Postdoctoral fellows within 4 years of graduation and New Investigators who are within 10 years of graduation are welcome to apply - even those who already work in industry or other for-profit institutions! This allows opportunities for those pre- and post-grad to pursue their ambitions beyond the traditional paths. Check out their website to learn more about their grant opportunities, deadlines, research they've funded, and how you can contribute. https://www.brightfocus.org/

Today's guest is Deva Boone, MD MBA, owner and surgeon at Southwest Parathyroid Center, and one of the nation's foremost experts on parathyroid disease and parathyroid surgery. After obtaining her MD from Cornell Medical College, Dr. Boone first pursued a surgery residency followed by an endocrinology fellowship, and finally landed in the niche subspecialty of parathyroid surgery. (Don't worry if you don't know what the parathyroid is, that's the first topic!)

I met Deva on our first day as Executive MBA students at the University of South Florida. At the completion of the program, Deva and her family moved from Tampa, FL to Phoenix, AZ so she could begin the Southwest Parathyroid Center, where she now operates on patients from all over the world as a destination surgical site. During this podcast, we talk about formally pursuing an MBA degree and what it was like as doctors being students again, and how attending classes with those who specialized in finance, human resources, project management, and other highly specialized business fields forced us to think beyond the left side of our brains. We talk about the challenges we have faced as people who specialized in very niche medical topics, the importance of soft skills and body language in business and in medicine, her journey through entrepreneurship, and how introverts may find it easier to build an online brand than you think!

If you or someone you know may have parathyroid disease, there is no one better than Dr. Boone. You can find her and learn more about the parathyroid here: www.southwestparathyroid.com or at www.devaboone.com

Today's guest is Dr. Andrea Unser, Senior Research Scientist at Humonix Biosciences, Inc. Andrea has had a lifelong interest in science, and has spent so much of her life in research and engineering that she actually dreamed of having a boring 9-to-5 job while she was in grad school! Thankfully, she was lucky enough to meet her future Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Karen Torrejon, when they worked in a lab together, and they have been working together ever since! Andrea and I talk about the importance of making connections, why it's sometimes good to geographically restrict yourself, and how future industry bench scientists can make themselves stand out in the interview process. Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording!

Today's guest is Dr. Julie Whitcomb, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Eyenovia, Inc. Julie has a PhD in mechanical engineering, and even received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue some of her graduate research in Munich! Following graduation, Julie began her industry career as a scientist before making the transition to Medical Affairs, making her one of the first guests who have done two highly sought-after jobs in industry. We discuss her time in Germany, some MSL best practices and how to maximize your time at conferences, and what Julie looks for in new Medical Affairs applicants. Plus, as you'll hear, if you enjoy "Bench to Boardroom," you have Julie to thank!

Today's guest is Dr. Edritz Javelosa, Chief Scientific Officer at the Charcot-Marie Tooth Research Foundation (CMTRF). Edritz is a proud former first-generation/low-income (FLI) student who moved to America from the Philippines with her family as a teen. After earning her PhD in Neuroscience at Stanford University, Edritz quickly moved through the ranks at the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation within 3.5 years and was selected to be the new Chief Scientific Officer at CMTRF about 4 years after her degree was conferred.

Edritz and I discuss her meteoric rise from graduate student to CSO, and importantly we discuss why it's important to not let FOMO get the best of you and instead step back from negotiations to decide whether a new role is right for you. We also discuss what it means to be a FLI student and why she has used her experience as an ex-US student in America to drive her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all spaces.

I will admit to fawning a little over this wunderkind - hopefully, after listening, you'll understand why!

Each year, the latest and greatest in glaucoma innovation is showcased at the New Horizons Forum as part of the annual Glaucoma 360 meeting. On this special episode, Cynthia is joined by new and returning guests to discuss the 2024 meeting. We talk about the shift towards personalized medicine in ophthalmology, the need for better diagnostics, and the importance of considering the most important stakeholders (i.e., the patients) when considering new innovations.

To learn more about the New Horizons Forum and the Glaucoma Research Foundation, visit https://glaucoma.org/.

This episode is dedicated in memory of the extraordinary Griffen Samples. Your wit, enthusiasm, and colorful wardrobe will be sorely missed by all who knew you.

Today's guest is Sarah Snyder, PharmD, an Executive Recruiter at the Carolan Group and the Co-Founder of MSL Mastery. Sarah's primary interest was in journalism until she realized how many non-FDA-approved "nutritional supplements" were being used by patients, which steered her interest into pharmacology. After developing a keen interest in analyzing pharmacological data and fighting for an internship in Drug Information (the only person in her pharmacy school class to be interested!), Sarah found her calling as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) and never looked back!

With decades of MSL experience and a passion for teaching, Sarah has moved on from working as an MSL to coaching and recruiting others to be MSLs. In this interview, Sarah shares some of her wisdom on the ups and downs of this career path, how to build your best online brand (because, if you don't do it, that's your brand!), and ways to begin networking. If you're interested in an MSL career path, you don't want to miss this one!

Today's guest is Dr. Cheryl Rowe-Rendleman, the Founder, Owner, and Managing Consultant at Omar Consulting Group, a team who advises and guides researchers and companies through the regulatory process. After graduating from Princeton with a Bachelor’s in Biology, Cheryl was poised to become a science teacher until the headmaster (politely!) told her that she should consider a different career path. Turns out, that was solid advice! After she graduated with a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Houston as #1 in the country for biochemistry, she completed a postdoc at UCSF, and the rest is history!



During our discussion, Cheryl tells some touching and hilarious stories about her ascent from teaching biology to actors’ children to traveling the world to eventually owning her own business. We discuss the impact a good teacher/mentor can make, how it feels when you finally find the job that fulfills you, and the unique way that Cheryl got herself a seat at the table in the proverbial “room where it happened.” This episode is a must listen!

Today's guest is the one and only Dr. Barbara Wirostko, MD, FARVO! As a clinician-scientist and entrepreneur, Barb is currently a Clinical Adjunct Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City, the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Qlaris Bio, Inc., and the Medical Consultant at MyEyes, LLC. Cynthia and Barb talk about the power of human connection, believing in yourself, and how the combination of scientific knowledge, business acumen, and creativity can propel your career into the directions that you truly desire.

Towards the end of this episode, we delve into a deeply personal topic for Barb - the creation of the Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation, a charity she created alongside her husband, which provides scholarships and guidance to high school and college students with dyslexia who want to persue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). If you are interested in learning more about the foundation and the good works they do, you can find more information below:

Foundation Website: https://morelli.foundation/

Barb's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/barbara_wirostko_morelli_md_dyslexia_tapping_into_the_potential

Today's episode is with the great connector herself - Dr. Diane Bovenkamp, Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the Brightfocus Foundation. Brought up in a family of scientists, there was no question that Diane was going to get a PhD and pursue a scientific career herself, but what she did with her (incredibly impressive) academic pedigree is nothing short of fantastic. Diane's love of neuroscience, photography, and communication has helped make the Brightfocus Foundation one of the most well-known non-profit funding agencies for Alzheimer's Disease, Glaucoma, and Macular Degeneration in the country. Our conversation spans everything from zebrafish research to what a coffee date with a Nobel Laureate is like, and Diane drops some incredible nuggets of wisdom and inspirational messages you'll want to remember. Don't miss this one!

Today's guest is Dr. Alice Wyse-Jackson. Having earned her PhD from University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, Alice fell in love with Seattle, WA while attending a conference there and quickly seized the opportunity to pursue a postdoc at the University of Washington. Once she decided on a career in industry, Alice quickly identified the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) role as one that might be a good fit, which led her to her first position at Bausch + Lomb. A certain podcast host may have been one of Alice's interviewers at the time!
During our discussion, we explored the opportunities that being an MSL can offer and how, when navigated skillfully, this role can serve as a transformative springboard for the rest of your career. We discuss the importance of working with a team of good people, how a good boss can help you appreciate your value (and how the opposite can be true, too), and how to make the best use of your time as an MSL while having a lot of fun doing it.

Today we sat down with Dr. Jacquelyn Duvall, PhD, PMP from The Duke Human Vaccine Institute. Jacquelyn received her PhD in Chemistry (while still feeling like a non-chemist) from the University of Virginia. She got her first job in industry, utilizing microfluidics to optimize the process of research, immediately after graduation. Jacquelyn then went on to become a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) which helped her advance from the role of a bench scientist to study coordinator positions at Powered Research and The Duke Vaccine Institute. We discuss how Jacquelyn's choice to persue her PMP certificate complements her bench science training, the career paths that can stem from PMP certification, and how she utilizes both of her skillsets to advance research at the micro scale.

In this episode, Dr. Karen Torrejon (Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Humonix Biosciences, Inc) shares with us how she turned her dissertation project in nanotechnology/tissue engineering into a thriving business even before her PhD defense, and how working with great people helped make her company a success. Having supportive mentors, and an admirable amount of persistence, helped Karen create the first ex vivo model of the primary outflow pathway of the eye, and expand her intellectual property outside of her alma mater. This tenacity, and the right team, eventually led to the creation of Humonix, a company whose mission it is to accelerate and de-risk drug development for their pharmaceutical partners. in career growth.

Today's guest is Dr. Sara Sarkey, Vice President of Neuroscience & Vaccines at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Against the advice of her mentor, Sara not only transitioned to industry, but she started her first job at Takeda 6 months before she even defended her PhD! Now, almost 13 years later, she has grown her role from Medical Writer to the senior role she is in now. On today's episode, Sara talks about the power of persistence, about never letting yourself get bored, and the importance of mentorship and sponsorship in career growth.

In this episdoe of Bench to Boardroom Podcast we talk to Dr. Julie Tetzlaff. After completing her PhD at Loyola University in Chicago, and her PostDoc at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Julie made the jump to Industry working as the 3rd employee at a startup where she had a really opportunity to grow her professional skills. This started a career trajectory where Julie found her passion for starting ambitious projects from the ground up. 

In her time at the Medical School of Wisconsin Julie has been working with current and future grad students in their preperation for future careers and developments. In this episode, Julie shares with us some of the best advice she has gained throughout here time, and how anyone can apply it to themselves.

Today we sat down with Alicia Case. Principal Scientist at Zoetis. To talk about her path from her post Doc to her pivitol role in diagnostics with multiple companies. She shares with us some of her favorite books, online resources, interviewing tips, and personal management strategies.