Name: Marianna Johnson (she/her)
PhD: Molecular Metabolism and Cancer Biology, University of Chicago, 2017
What was your main area of research?
I studied the molecular mechanisms by which environmental stressors altered mammary gland development in the context of later-life breast cancer risk. My areas of focus included: endocrinology (reproductive and stress hormones), mammary stem cells, and chronic stress exposure.
What is your current job?
I am a Publication Specialist at Pfizer Inc. in San Francisco, California.
I manage development and implementation of clinical publication plans and ensure compliance with Pfizer policy. I also manage publication budgets and develop enterprise-wide publication policy to harmonize clinical publication development with trends and standards in the publication field. For example, one of my current projects is developing policy around use of GenerativeAI for the development of clinical publications.
The best part of my job is working across different therapeutic areas, being a subject matter expert in publications, and leveraging new technologies in publication development.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I was assigned this position as a part of an acquisition.
PhD ➡️ medical writer (agency) for ~5 years ➡️ scientific communications lead (biotech) ➡️ publications specialist
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I was frustrated with funding and skeptical about career growth/earning potential.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
If possible, get an internship/work experience during grad school in an area of interest. For me, that was doing some science writing on the side. For others, that was volunteering for a tech transfer office or being a part of a student group or association.
The first job is always the hardest to land, but if you're not satisfied it's OK to jump jobs every ~2 years until you land in the right place.