Her Story
About Kayla
I've been in healthcare for about 20 years, and my journey has been deeply shaped by personal experience. I'm a cancer survivor, and through my own treatment journey, my mother and grandmother were also diagnosed with cancer. This inspired me to dedicate my career to making a difference in healthcare. I started my research journey at Georgia Institute of Technology, then moved to Emory School of Medicine, spending about 15 years in academia doing bench research across different therapeutic areas, working to bring innovations into the market. I held lab managerial positions at both Emory and Georgia State. I earned my bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Georgia State University after initially starting at Spelman College in biology, and I recently completed my doctoral degree in translational biomedical science from Georgia State in December 2025. For the past year and a half, I've served as System Director of Business Development within a 20-hospital network. In this role, I work in the clinical trial space, focusing on growing our research pipeline and providing access to patients who have last-resort treatment options available. My main responsibility is to provide access to patients by talking to physicians and healthcare leaders to promote collaboration and awareness to help their patients every day. I'm the youngest person in my current position and also represent the Latin community in this role. Everything that drives me is about helping others - I'm a big family-oriented person, and I have a strong personal connection with the autism community through my brother who is on the spectrum. I do a lot of initiatives with him to spread everyday awareness about what that looks like on a daily basis.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kayla
01What do you attribute your success to?
I definitely would say family is my driving motivator. Personal experiences have kind of just crafted where I am today. I've always been the type of person where I don't necessarily just say, 'Hey, I want to do this for the rest of my life.' I've always just been very eager to just grow in whatever life takes me at that phase of my life, and I'm just always open to doing it. Being a cancer survivor and having my mother and grandmother also diagnosed with cancer through my own treatment journey - these experiences have shaped my path and inspired me to make a difference in healthcare.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I think the best advice I've received is to sit back and listen to who's around you. But then also, at the same time, don't lose yourself as far as who you are individually, because every one of us has something to be able to contribute to this world. It's about finding that balance between learning from others while staying true to your own identity and what you uniquely bring to the table.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think the most important advice I would give is to remember who you are and try not to lose that, really, in any industry that you're going into. You can be easily maneuvered into thinking, 'I shouldn't be in this industry,' because of how people who've been in the industry for 20-plus years work a certain way, but that may not necessarily be right or wrong. It's more about that identity - don't lose your identity, no matter what industry you go into, but just remember to evolve yourself for the betterment of yourself. Stay true to who you are while remaining open to growth.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think some of the biggest challenges are that no matter what industry you go into, there's always going to be some type of nuances and some old ways of thinking on how to do certain things. But just as the world is evolving with AI and everything becoming a little bit more automatic, a lot of processes are just going to have to be more open-minded. Your age shouldn't be a determining factor, and years of experience really shouldn't be a determining factor either. What really matters is what you can contribute - it could be a new idea that could catapult something in that industry. The key is being open to innovation and new perspectives rather than sticking to traditional ways just because that's how it's always been done.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I'm a very caring person, so I just like to help others in general. Everything that drives me is just helping others - it doesn't necessarily even have to be in healthcare, I'm just a big giver. Those are some things that I value. If someone is in need, I'm always there to be a listening ear, because at the end of the day, everyone is always individually going through something. If someone can support another person, then you never know what you can do to help them. Being there for others and making a difference in their lives is what matters most to me.
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