Kelly Fahrbach
Why did you choose Northwestern?
The integrated program was a big draw for me at the time of applying to graduate school. There were several faculty taking on interesting research and the location was perfect.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience? What was it then and/or what it is now?
In graduate school, I worked to help understand how a virus took over control of a cell and have its growth be uncontrolled and form a tumor. My postgraduate work was in an HIV laboratory to understand how the virus traveled through breaks in the skin and was spread from cell to cell. My current role is in medical communications. I work with pharmaceutical companies to generate medical education materials related to clinical trial data as well as help prepare for the launch of new drug products.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
That I love my job and am helping new and important therapies become available to the people who need them most.
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
I love that I get to work on several different therapy areas and am always learning something new.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
Consider all of your career options and know that you do have options. Then, talk with people in these areas to learn more about what truly interests you