Name: Greg Gillispie (he/him)
PhD: Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest University, 2020
What was your main area of research?
I studied regenerative medicine & tissue engineering with a focus on rheology of hydrogel biomaterials for bioprinting.
What is your current job?
I am a Medical Science Liaison at AbbVie/Allergan Aesthetics in Denver, Colorado.
I function as a scientific expert/interface internally and externally for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and key opinion leaders (KOLs) in my territory for Allergan's facial aesthetic products. Functionally, that means taking phone calls to answer questions, giving presentations over lunch or dinner, and attending conferences.
The best part is definitely the work-life balance and flexibility, but also I really enjoy reading and talking about the science without having to conduct experiments myself.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I knew I wanted to be an MSL since our graduate program had speakers come in and talk about their careers. This job specifically was recommended to me through a friend/previous labmate who already worked at the company.
PhD graduate ➡️ Postdoctoral Fellow (1 yr) ➡️ Medical Science Liaison
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia? Was this a difficult decision or one you felt came easily?
It was easy! Once I started grad school, it did not take long to learn that I did not enjoy running experiments or writing grants. I did enjoy teaching and considered pursuing a primarily teaching faculty position, but ultimately MSL was a better opportunity.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Network! Keep in touch with graduate students, postdocs, etc. that move on to industry before you. When networking with strangers, try to focus on people you have something in common with besides that they have a job that you want (alumni status, field of research, home city). If you have a mutual friend that can do the introduction, even better.