• What is your job title?
  
• Please give a brief description of your job, specifying what you do each day.
  
• What most interests you in your job?
  
• What do you like least about your job?
  
• What has been your career path?
  
• Was there any person who inspired you to do what you are doing today?
  
• What attracted you to this career when you were in high school?
  
• What careers in your field do you see as promising?
  
• What advice do you have for young women who want to work in your field?
  
  

Q:  What is your job title?
A: Scientist II, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Millennium
Pharmaceuticals
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Q:  Please give a brief description of your job, specifying what you do each day.
A: I lead a group within the Oncology Department.  We have cancer genes that we are tryng to make drugs against.  My group's job involves:

1. Investigating the basic biology of these genes in different cancers.
2. Developing assays in cells to test drugs that we find to determine if they inhibit the  cancer gene we are studying.

For my job I lead 2 main projects so I also co-ordinate efforts between many groups in the company to see that the basic science is done, the gene is screened by our drug screening group, interact with chemists that make the "drugs" or compounds, interact our pharmacology groups to see that the drugs are screened in mice before they go to clinical trials. I do some work in the lab and also attend a lot of meetings.
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Q:  What most interest you in your job?
A: I love the basic science.  Cancer cells are very complicated so it is fasinating to decipher how they work. I also like the idea of trying to make drugs that will hopefully help cancer patients one day.
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Q:  What do you like the least about your job?
A: Not much.
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Q:  What has your career path been?
A: I did my PhD in Canada on a Neuromuscular Disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy where we identified a gene responsible for the disease.  I then went ot San Diego to do a Post-doctoral fellowship studying cancer.  I have now worked at a harmaceutical Company for 3 years in Oncology.
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Q:  Was there any person who inspired you to do what you're doing today?
A: One of my 10th grade biology teachers.
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Q:  What attracted you to this career when you were in high school?
A: The same answer as above and I always loved science.
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Q:  What careers in your field do you see as promising for the future?
A: Biomedical research in general.  Oncology, cardiovascular disease and new antibiotics.
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Q: What advice do you have for young women who want to work in your field someday?
A: Find mentors, speak to women in academic careers and biotechnology/pharmaceutical careers.
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