Medical Science Liaison Gets to Impact Patient Care

Name: Kate Lanza (she/her)

PhD: Behavioral Neuroscience, SUNY - Binghamton, 2020

What was your main area of research?

I did pre-clinical research in rodent models of disease. My PhD work focused on how Parkinson’s disease and subsequent L-dopa treatment promotes maladaptive plasticity in the brain that might contribute to side effects associated with chronic L-dopa treatment.

What is your current job?

I am a Medical Science Liaison for Axsome Therapeutics Inc based in Boston, Massachusetts.

I work for a pharmaceutical company to gather insights from physicians and key opinion leaders in order to guide our medical strategy, clinical development, and future research. I also present our updated clinical data to physicians who are treating patients so that they can make informed treatment decisions.

I love being able to impact patient care and discuss science with leaders in the field.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

I learned about this position through a career panel at my graduate school

PhD grad ➡️ postdoc ➡️ Medical Science Liaison (MSL)

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

Deciding not to pursue an academic career was not easy, but I decided to transition into industry for a number of reasons.

I found that the parts of research that I enjoyed the most (presenting about research, attending conferences, influencing clinical outcomes) were well suited for a career in medical affairs.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Networking is one of the most crucial aspects of transitioning into industry. LinkedIn is a great resource to connect with people, as well as attending conferences.

You don’t know what you don’t know and in order to learn you have to ask.