Episode 15: From Preclinical Research to Clinical Applications and Entrepreneurship with Dr. Sierra Simpson

The Sequel to a PhD Podcast

Welcome back to the podcast!
In this episode, I enjoyed chatting with Dr. Sierra Simpson, a PhD scientist with a background in investigating the connections between the microbiome and addiction. Sierra shares her story of how she moved away from preclinical bench research into more clinically-oriented roles as the Associate Director of Perioperative Informatics in the Department of Anesthesia at UCSD as well as founder of BrilliantBiome, a company centered around using information about your personal microbiome to inform health decisions. She shares some of her experiences around becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business (during her PhD, even!), and I was intrigued to hear how she is now navigating dual paths between her roles in academia and her company, BrilliantBiome. In addition, Sierra shares great perspective and tips for people wanting to move away from bench research into roles with more clinical applications. We talk about the importance of following our individual unique interests and values as we navigate career decisions and how we are allowed to do what's most fulfilling for us.

To learn more about BrilliantBiome, visit https://www.brilliantbiome.com/ or find Dr. Simpson on LinkedIn!
Thank you for listening!
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