Alumni Q & A

Christina Bennett, PhD - 2005 MIP Alumnus - Ormond MacDougald Laboratory - Current position: Publisher at American Chemical Society

I work as a publisher at the American Chemical Society (ACS), and I guide the strategy and business needs of about 30 out of the 70+ scientific journals published by ACS. I oversee the team of managing editors for those 30 journals in my portfolio and work with the larger team of publishers to help ensure that our staff and editors have what they need to keep their journals successful. For example, our team makes sure that the journals are reaching the right audience and publishing the right content, the editors and editorial boards are diverse and balanced in expertise, and the journals are represented at conferences, webinars and other events. I am involved with some ethics cases at ACS but focus more on the final review of these matters rather than the entire inquiry process. This is in contrast to my previous role, where I worked as the Publications Ethics Manager at the American Physiological Society.

Nicole Lockhart, PhD - 2005 MIP Alumnus - Susan Brooks Laboratory - Current position: Program Director, Division of Genomics and Society, National Humone Genome Research Institute

I am the program officer for grants relating to ethical, legal and social implications of genetics research at the National Human Genome Research Institute. I help grantees who may have research ideas in this field by discussing their specific aims and the grant process. Grantees come from a variety of backgrounds, including philosophers, lawyers, and clinicians. I am intentional in making sure a diversity of research communities are represented in my portfolio. Furthermore, I provide support to other NIH research programs that may have ethical and social implications. In this role, I provide advice on informed consent, recruitment, and data sharing in a consultative role.

Min-Hyun Kim, PhD - 2022 MIP Alumnus - Liangyou Rui Laboratory - Current position: Assistant Professor, Nutrition - Arizona State University

After completion of my postdoctoral training with Dr. Liangyou Rui in MIP, I joined Arizona State University as an Assistant Professor of Nutrition in January 2022. My laboratory, in beautiful downtown Phoenix, investigates the molecular mechanisms of obesity and type 2 diabetes, with a focus on metabolic hormones such as leptin and insulin. Research is the most important part of my job and I spend most of my time doing research-related activities such as conducting experiments, writing grants, and reading literature . I also teach undergraduate and graduate courses, which require time to prepare course materials and grade assignments/exams.

Steven Romanelli, PhD - 2020 MIP Alumnus - Ormond MacDougald Laboratory - Current position: Senior Consultant at TRINITY

I work for TRINITY, a global strategic advisor to the life sciences industry. As a senior consultant my roles involve leading and managing primary market research across projects, overseeing development of research materials and analyses, and communicating relevant findings to clients. Since starting in August 2021, I have worked on projects that involved launching a drug in the neurology space, building sales forecasts in the pain management field and understanding the impact of new therapies on prescribing habits in the oncology sector. I have had the opportunity to work with large pharmaceutical companies to mid-sized biotechnology companies and have been able to see first-hand how science and business intersect in the real world.

Christina: I credit the University of Michigan and MIP for instilling many core truths, including the feeling that no project is too big: everything is possible. My time in MIP gave me the confidence and resilience to take on new projects and experiences. I also learned to be inquisitive and to ask questions, knowing that one cannot be an expert in everything. I still remember the infectious energy of the department and how many of the graduate students and faculty were my biggest cheerleaders. MIP’s collaborative, positive, and encouraging environment were crucial in shaping my time during my PhD. I am still in regular contact with multiple Michigan faculty members and graduate school peers. Finally, MIP’s close relationship with the APS was highly beneficial for my own career; former department chair Dr. John Williams was APS president while I was in the department and he encouraged us to become members of APS and get involved in the society. This membership helped plant the seed for my career within professional societies.

Nicole: I am grateful for my time in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, where I learned key lessons for my journey through science and my career. During my PhD at the University of Michigan, I learned to be open to interdisciplinary science, the importance of collaboration, and how to foster collegiality and maintain meaningful interpersonal relationships. More broadly, Michigan excels in so many different disciplines, which helped open me up to other fields of study; I was able to learn the value of having a diverse intellectual foundation. I took graduate-level classes in law and public policy, lecturing for one of the policy classes I greatly enjoyed. Due to my wide range of experiences at the University of Michigan, I was awarded two science policy fellowships after graduation: the Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program, and the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship.

Min-Hyun: As my background is in nutrition, my research techniques were limited to basic biochemistry and dietary interventions in animals. However, my postdoctoral training in the department of MIP provided me with a broad experience in molecular biology, physiology and neuroendocrinology utilizing transgenic mouse models, virus-mediated gene delivery and stereotaxic microinjection. I believe these skills served as a basis in building a strong nutritional science research laboratory and allowed me to expand my research to broader biomedical topics. In addition, the NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellowship greatly helped me obtain a faculty position. The fellowship not only financially supported my research, but it also became a good example while preparing job applications to demonstrate the competitiveness of my research.

Scientific communication is a key part of any research, and I am grateful that MIP offered ample opportunities to present one’s work by way of seminars, research clubs, symposium etc. I actively participated in ‘Cellular Aspects of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism Research Club’ and ‘Neuroendocrine Control of Metabolism Research Club’. Not only was I able to present my research and get healthy feedback from field experts, but it was also a great opportunity to meet renowned scientists and expand my scientific knowledge. In addition to research, teaching is an important part of the academic research setting. I participated as an instructor in teaching Physiology 415 course (Laboratory Techniques in Biomedical Research) offered by MIP. which really helped my teaching methodologies and offered insight into developing the course curriculum. This experience is coming to fruition as I am teaching an undergraduate course at Arizona State University. I believe the PHY415 is one of the most valuable opportunities for MIP scholars.

Steven: Communication and presentation skills are essential to being a consultant. On a typical day, you are expected to synthesize a lot of information and distill key findings into a slide deck; you then need to communicate that information to your team and/or client. I’ll forever be grateful to Ormond and the “MacLab” for all the lab meetings, practice talks, and presentations that allowed me to develop these skills. Additionally, the Physiology Department provided several opportunities to present and receive feedback, which was a great chance to practice speaking in front of a large audience and field questions on the fly.

At the end of my first year, I was accepted into the Cellular Biotechnology Training Program (CBTP) through the College of Engineering which allowed me to do an internship at AstraZeneca in Cambridge, UK. I was able to further my thesis work and contribute to two publications with industry scientists, as well as gain industry experience.

I was also an active member of miLEAD Consulting Group, a graduate student and postdoc-run consulting firm, where I served as president from 2018-2019. This gave me my first experience in consulting and is ultimately what pushed me to pursue consulting full-time. I would recommend any student who is interested in consulting or industry to get involved; it is a phenomenal activity to have on your resume and will make you stand out while helping you build a community of people with similar interests at the University of Michigan.

Christina: Enjoy the process of graduate school. Every step provides new skills and experiences that can go into your toolbox for success in future positions. Additionally, select a thesis topic that will really interest you for the next few years knowing that it does not have to be the topic you study for the rest of your career. Finally, join a lab group that provides the type of energy you need to thrive. Quiet or social, competitive or collaborative. Whatever it is, you want a place where you feel comfortable to develop and grow into an amazing research scientist.

Nicole: Take advantage of all MIP and the University of Michigan have to offer. This could range from spending time in a lab down the hall to learn a new technique to taking a class in a different school or department. Don’t forget to learn from those around you. You are in a rich environment with researchers of all different backgrounds and levels. Take the time to learn from them scientifically, professionally and personally. Consider what makes someone a compelling presenter or different approaches to balancing professional and personal responsibilities.

Min-Hyun: While I received a postdoctoral fellowship, I did not ambitiously apply for other research grants or fellowship opportunities. Throughout my academic career, I learned that the doors of opportunity only open to those who continually knock. If I were to begin my graduate school or postdoctoral training again, I would put much more effort into writing grant proposals. MIP maintains an exhaustive list of funding opportunities which is available. Moreover, there are emails routinely sent out for applying to internal and external fellowships and I would highly advise students/postdocs to actively apply for these fellowships. During my job interview, I was often asked to share my personal experience about my contribution to society as a PhD. I wish I would have actively participated in community engagement and outreach programs provided by the department, like SEEK (Science Engagement and Education for Kids), and would encourage students/postdocs to participate. Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask for help. We face so many failures and stresses from our research and school life. Ask your advisor, colleagues, and other labs. Use all the resources available to you. MIP has so many amazing resources!

Steven: One area I would have liked to gain more experience in is data science. Analyzing large data sets is a daily job function, and while I have been able to get training at work, it would have been much better to enter with those skills in my toolbelt. I’d encourage anyone interested in consulting to get experience with the coding software R to gain familiarity with using Excel to run analyses (even though that is frowned upon in academia!). Also, be “selfish;” graduate school is the best time to find whatever it is you like and get completely immersed in it, whether that’s in the lab or outside of it. Don’t be afraid to pave your own path and take risks. Make sure you are always looking for opportunities to gain handson, real-world experience.