Name: Madison Phelps (she/her)
PhD: Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2023
What was your main area of research?
My PhD project was focused on developing novel, brain permeable, anti-inflammatory therapeutic compounds that could be used to treat neuroinflammatory disorders such as stroke and epilepsy.
What is your current job?
I am a Senior Scientific Writer for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
There are two main components to my job.
Working regularly with 10+ research group members, providing editorial guidance to authors and managing and executing editorial and publication activities.
Contributing extensively to the development of group members’ projects into publishable manuscripts.
Managing 7+ high-priority manuscripts in various stages of preparation. Involves meeting regularly with authors to discuss progress and strategizing how to address any issues or difficulties they have encountered.
Writing, editing, and creating figures and slide decks for peer presentations.
Guiding narrative development for a diverse range of scientific topics for graduate and postdoctoral researchers.
Drafting cover letters and creating editor pitch slide decks for manuscript submissions.
Developing strategic submission plans and crafted point-by-point rebuttal responses to address reviewer comments for manuscript resubmission.
Navigating various research topics, including computational and experimentally driven projects. (Topics include: GPCRs, Motifs in Intrinsically Disordered Regions, Kinases, Chemokines, Retrieval Augmented Generation Pipelines, and Large Scale Virtual Screening)
Conducting an in-depth literature review and analysis on GPCRs in collaboration with a lead researcher and principal investigator.
Leading the finalization and submission process of three cutting-edge manuscripts, collaborating closely with co-authors.
Providing guidance, assistance, and mentoring support to graduate students and young investigators on non-routine processes and procedures within the research group by connecting and educating them on the communication resources at our disposal.
Assisting in reviewing various grant applications and preparing institutional review documents.
Working with the Chief Data Scientist (CDS) and the Scientific Director (SD) to develop a strategic plan and communication strategies for the newly established Office of Data Science.
Working directly with CDS and the SD to curate executive scientific strategy and vision presentations, including data science-related presentations, business plan proposals, and a detailed fiscal year annual report.
Developing multiple presentations for the CDS to deliver to stakeholders (i.e., Board of Trustees, Board of Governors (BoG), Scientific Advisory Board, and SJ Faculty) regarding the launch and implementation of the Data Science Initiative (DSI).
Authoring a comprehensive implementation plan for the DSI, shared with Executive Leadership and the BoG.
Leading content development for diverse communication mechanisms (articles, infographics, case studies, blog posts, job descriptions etc.) by understanding audience needs and developing content goals.
Engaging with and interviewing research and clinical staff and subject matter experts to investigate how Quantum Computing could significantly enhance their research.
Playing an instrumental role in planning, organizing, and coordinating a stakeholder meeting to introduce Quantum Computing and a prospective company to relevant Executives.
Providing detailed post-discussion summaries from the Quantum Computing stakeholder meeting, contributing to strategic decisions and planning.
Assisting in the writing and preparation of a Quantum Computing Hub Proposal for Executive Leadership.
Adapting to scheduling changes and effectively managing the rescheduling of key meetings.
Onboarding and orienting the Sr. Research Program Manager on essential DSI-related documents and procedures.
My favorite thing about my job is getting to learn something new everyday, and working with incredibly talented individuals. I get to learn about novel techniques and approaches that I would have never been exposed to had I continued down the path of a wet-lab scientist.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I found this job through LinkedIn.
PhD graduate ➡️ brief period of unemployment (unintentional) ➡️ CEO of my own Scientific Writing/Consulting Company ➡️ Science Writer ➡️ Senior Scientific Writer
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I think I always knew I did not want to be an academic. The grueling hours and little reward was so disheartening for me, especially as a woman in science. I knew going into my PhD that I did not want to be a professor, but I absolutely loved research so I went ahead and started a PhD program. I always thought that I would end up working for a pharmaceutical company, but after falling in love with Science Communication during my PhD I knew that I wanted to become a science communicator.
Fast forward to my current role, I could not be happier. I get to work alongside absolutely amazing scientists, without any of the heartbreak that comes with being a scientist. So for me, no, this was not a difficult decision and one that I would make 100x over again.
I think outside of academia (or even adjacent, as in my case) there are so many more opportunities for growth, and upward mobility. This, among a multitude of other reasons, is why I would encourage young professionals to explore as many opportunities as they can.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Talk to as many people as you can – LinkedIn is your friend. You would be surprised how many people are willing to meet with you to describe their roles. This will be helpful for 2 reasons. One, because you will get an opportunity to hear what your target roles are really like. This includes learning about their workplace culture! And two, it will give you a new connection when looking for a job. The market, even for PhD level roles, is getting harder and harder and having a connection at a company is a huge leg up. Always ask for a recommendation after a meeting!
If you are still in your PhD take as many external courses/extracurriculars as your schedule allows. This shows that you are driven, and can go above and beyond what is expected in your current role.
Check out the Cheeky Scientist. I enrolled in several of their FREE seminars. Do not pay for these services, they offer tons of free documents/workshops that you can access if you put in your email. Do it.
Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?
I had a very unsupportive PhD mentor, which was very hard to deal with at the time. Looking back, it made me realize how important it is to surround yourself with people who support you and how it is up to you to make your experience a positive one. I bent over backwards to be a stellar student and researcher, which was only acknowledged by my PI when it was convenient for him/in ways that it made him look good. But this would eventually pay off in my favor and help me land my dream job. My hiring manager recently told me that part of the reason he was so excited about my potential was that he was very impressed with all of the presentations, awards, and extra courses I took throughout the course of my PhD.