A PhD,but not aprofessor.

I earned my PhD in molecular pharmacology from Purdue in 2016. Then I built a career that has nothing to do with becoming a professor. I went from a postdoc to reviewing cell and gene therapies at the FDA, and today I lead global regulatory strategy at Kite Pharma.

This show is the conversation I wish I had while quietly weighing my options. Every episode, I sit down with someone who holds a doctorate and built a career beyond the professoriate. We talk about how they actually did it, including the pivots, the uncertainty, and the wins.

Lisa earned her PhD in American Studies from Purdue in 2017, then spent five years as a tenure track Professor of English and African American Studies at the College of Charleston. Then she left the professoriate. Today she is a Senior Compliance and Market Analyst for the Department of Defense.

A formally trained social scientist, Lisa works at the intersection of healthcare policy, technology, and consequence. Her research has examined how federal policy and healthcare systems shape access for underrepresented communities, including the history of health insurance and the politics of insurance denial.

Shaniece earned her PhD in Integrative Biosciences from Tuskegee University, where her doctoral research examined the differential expression of microRNAs in prostate cancer. Today she is a Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

At the CDC she serves as the HQ supervisor for the Laboratory Leadership Service Program, supporting PhD scientists and building trainings in laboratory quality, biosafety, bioinformatics, and leadership. Her career is built on service and advancing public health science.