Kathryn Lanza received her PhD in Neuroscience investigating aberrant receptor plasticity in Parkinson’s Disease treatment. She then went on to complete her postdoctoral work using dual-color 2-photon in vivo imaging to investigate the neural correlates of movement, and earned a T32 NIH fellowship to study neural ensembles in an active avoidance task. Currently, Kathryn is a medical science liaison for NS Pharma where she specializes in the fields of neuromuscular and rare orphan diseases. 

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field? 

I earned my PhD in neuroscience in May 2020 from Binghamton University. After that, I began a postdoctoral research fellowship at Northwestern University. After 1.5 years, I made the switch to the medical affairs field and began as a medical science liaison. I was interested in the medical affairs world after learning about it from a Binghamton alumni. It seemed to capitalize on the things I love about science (communication, collaboration, translational science) and I thought it might be a good fit for me. 

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field? 

I was contacted by a recruiter who thought I might be a good fit for the job posting. He found me through my networks. Although the job required previous MSL experience, they were interested in interviewing me anyways. I went through 4 rounds of interviews which is typical. The first was with HR just to make sure I understood the role. The second was with the medical affairs director. The third was with the current team of MSLs. The final step was a scientific presentation to demonstrate my scientific knowledge and communication skills. This structure is fairly typical. The scientific presentation is the final and most important step.  

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role?

My role is to meet with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and experts in my therapeutic area. I represent my company in these interactions. The goal is to educate these KOLs about the company’s data and products and to serve as a scientific resource for them. Additionally, I learn about their experiences with patients, clinical research, and anything else that may be relevant to my team. I report back useful information to my team and I actively maintain these relationships with KOLs. In a typical week, I may be traveling for a meeting or hosting one remotely. I also provide scientific training for internal members of the team. There is a lot of variety in my schedule, which is something I really like.

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment? 

I love talking about science and I essentially get to do that every day. I enjoy being able to meet with people who have diverse training backgrounds. For example, on a given day I might meet with an expert in neurology, cardiology, and genetics. My team is also diverse and I think that having this variability in backgrounds, training, and perspectives gives us all a richer understanding of the science and therapeutic area.

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

Some of the challenges have been about navigating the differences between corporate vs. an academic world. Although there are some similarities, this was my first experience outside of academia. There was a learning curve but I made sure to reach out to my mentors whenever I had questions. I wish I had made more mentors outside of academia sooner, but since switching to industry I have found that people are happy to help wherever they can.

Do you have any professional plans for the future? What are some future career paths that could open up for someone in your position, 5-10 years down the road?

I think that the medical affairs space is a good fit for me. I could see myself taking on a role of director or medical affairs manager. In these roles I would essentially be managing a team of MSLs and working more closely with communications teams to develop slide decks and informational materials.

What’s changing in your industry? Are there any future trends we should be aware of?

Like many fields , there has been a significant shift to a more virtual environment. MSLs tend to live on the road, but that has not been the case at all for me. I think that the future is a hybrid model. This might make the MSL career more feasible for some. In general, this field is really expanding. There is an increasing need for scientific communication and literacy.

What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field?

I had no experience entering my current role. However, throughout my graduate training and postdoctoral fellowship I sought out opportunities where I could hone my scientific communication skills. This meant volunteering with outreach activities, teaching coursework to undergrads, and presenting for journal clubs. Ultimately, these experiences made me stick out as a candidate because I showed a consistent, passionate interest in science communication in conjunction with my scientific research.

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e. have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field?

Absolutely. My team is composed of PhDs, MDs, and PharmDs. One of these degrees is essentially required for the MSL role. Therefore, there are only advantages. Your scientific training is essential for the role.

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now? 

Explore your options. I independently learned about many many career paths for myself so that I could have a solid understanding of what is out there. Industry can feel like a black box, despite the fact that most PhDs pursue these careers. Reach out to anyone in your network and ask for informational interviews to learn about their careers. You don’t know what you don’t know, but that doesn’t need to be the case. Many people have been in your exact position and navigated it successfully. Find those people and connect. You can’t do this soon enough.