Deepali Mahajan

I've been in clinical research for 5 years now, and I'm currently a medical scientist specializing in oncology, particularly solid tumors. My main responsibility is reviewing data from human clinical trials from a medical point of view. My typical day involves prioritizing what's important, responding to site inquiries, and then conducting a thorough review of one study - I focus on one protocol at a time to avoid confusion. I also support my colleagues whenever they need assistance, and I prepare for and present at client meetings. Until last year, I served as an operational manager with reportees under me, guiding and training them, which is something I'm really passionate about. I love training people. My journey to this field started in India, where I completed my Bachelor's in Pharmacy and was placed directly through college at Dr. Reddy's Laboratory as a sales representative. I then pursued my Master's in Pharmacology from Mahati Vidapit College of Pharmacy in Navi Mumbai, which drew me toward research. While waiting for PhD opportunities, I worked as a lecturer at Oriental College of Pharmacy. I eventually earned my PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from SNDT University in Mumbai, which took 5 years to complete. During my PhD, I developed a formulation from pomegranate fruit peel - which is normally considered waste - that's effective in treating gastric ulcers and colitis, and I received a patent for it. When I moved to the United States, I completed a Level 1 Clinical Research course from Duke University in North Carolina, which helped me break into the field here. Within 3 months, I got an internship, completed 4 months of training, and then immediately started as a Project Specialist at Syneos Health. After 11 months, I moved to the medical department as a Medical Specialist, where I stayed for 7 months before being promoted to Medical Scientist, my current role for the past 4 years.