Her Story
About Kalpana
I've been in the life sciences and biotech field for 12 years, and I've always been interested in science from the time I was in school. That's why I majored in biotech and went on to do my PhD at the University of Illinois in Chicago, which I completed in 2014. My graduate training in basic science really laid the foundation for me to be a curious person scientifically, and I think that genuine scientific curiosity is what led me to where I am today. After my PhD, I worked for a publication company called Springer Nature, where I was involved in the review of scientific work from scholarly authors and scientific publications. Today, I work at a rare disease biotech company in business development, where I'm focused on finding innovative treatments for smaller patient populations. What I'm involved in is sourcing opportunities for my company and evaluating treatments that we could develop ourselves and provide to patients. I have a consistent dedication to science and innovation, and I try to apply the principle of finding solutions where none existed - that's the foundation of being a scientist. What I find most rewarding is trying to make an impact for rare disease patients, because there are so few of them and they sometimes get lost in the noise of big diseases like cancer or diabetes. It's incredibly isolating for these patients because there are so few, and I think it's important to realize that they're not alone, that there's a community, and there are companies out there trying to make a difference in their lives.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kalpana
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think the key factors to my success are having curiosity and trying to be solution-oriented. I always ask myself, how do I solve this problem? That really comes from the foundation of being a scientist, which is trying to find solutions where none existed. That's the principle that I try to apply everywhere I go. My genuine scientific curiosity leads me to uncover opportunities wherever I am, and I think that consistent dedication to science and innovation has been crucial throughout my journey.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it's important to be open-minded and try to talk to people to understand how you could apply your training. It's sometimes not just a linear path, and there could be very creative ways where you could use your experience to help make an impact. Don't limit yourself to thinking there's only one way forward - explore different possibilities and be creative about how your skills and training can be applied in meaningful ways.
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