Diverse Routes: Career Journeys in Science & Medicine

Cassie Briggs
  • 4.3 (6)
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With so many career options in science and medicine it can be hard to know which path to take. Join the founder of Success in Science Career Coaching and published scientist Dr. Cassie Briggs as she interviews a diverse range of inspiring professionals - from physician assistants to hydrogeologists - who share their unique career journeys. If you are a student or early career professional exploring career options, navigating opportunities and obstacles along your career journey, or looking for advice on how to land your dream job in science or medicine, this is the podcast for you!

  1. Food Scientist - Karen Thang

    May 26

    Food Scientist - Karen Thang

    Episode Highlights: Why food science might be one of the most recession-proof STEM careers How to know if you chose the right career path What first-generation students aren’t told about choosing a major Timestamps: 0:32 - What is a Food Scientist? 1:57 - What does a typical day look like? 9:09 - What do you enjoy? 12:40 - What do you dislike? 16:44 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations? 20:20 - What were your career milestones? 28:36 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional? About Our Guest: Ambitious and passionate food scientist with 11 years of diverse experience in product development. Passionate in creating and launching innovative, emerging, delicious food and beverage products that meet consumer's lifestyle choices, needs, and challenges. Highly skilled in developing new products that meet various dietary claims and restrictions while also ensuring quality, safety, and regulatory standards are met. Collaborative team member adept at working with cross-functional teams and external partners to launch new products, reduce costs, and improve existing commercialized products.  Connect with Karen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thangkaren/  Resources from our Guest https://www.masterclass.com/classes/people-intelligence  My Food Job Rocks podcast by Adam Yee  Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠Follow us on Instagram @sciencecareercoach

    35 min
  2. Application Scientist - Renata Saha

    Apr 28

    Application Scientist - Renata Saha

    Episode Highlights: The shocking truth about the transition from academia to industry How she built her own startup in undergrad Navigating the hidden VISA gauntlet international STEM grads face in the US job market Timestamps: 0:27 - What is an Electrical Engineer/Materials Scientist? 7:32 - What does a typical day look like? 9:58 - What do you enjoy? 15:57 - What do you dislike? 20:43 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations? 29:12 - What were your career milestones? 31:54 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional? About Our Guest: Renata Saha is a Senior Scientist focused on the development and translation of technologies for wearable and implantable medical devices. She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where her research centered on neural interfaces, micromagnetic neurostimulation, and experimental neurotechnology. Renata’s work sits at the intersection of materials science, medical device engineering, and translational research, with an emphasis on bridging early-stage innovation to scalable, manufacturable healthcare solutions. Her experience spans industry research and development, academic research, and collaboration with clinicians and startups. She is particularly interested in the future of neurotechnology, nano-enabled medical devices, and the practical challenges of translating cutting-edge research into real-world clinical impact.  Connect with Renata on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/renata-saha/  Resources from our Guest https://sites.usc.edu/carss/ https://cne.umn.edu/ https://open.spotify.com/show/7eJGUJczDkCqaoRtYEoZeQ Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠ Follow us on Instagram @sciencecareercoach

    40 min
  3. Medical Illustrator I Avesta Rastan

    Mar 31

    Medical Illustrator I Avesta Rastan

    Episode Highlights: How to get paid to learn about cutting-edge science (without running experiments) Why you might not have to choose between art and science after all The day-to-day of freelance work (it might surprise you) Timestamps: 1:33 - What is a medical illustrator? 4:25 - What does a typical day look like? 6:44 - What do you enjoy? 14:43 - What do you dislike? 17:27 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations? 22:01 - What were your career milestones? 24:40 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional? About Our Guest: Avesta Rastan is a freelance medical illustrator and animator from Vancouver, Canada, with an Master of Science in Biomedical Communications from the University of Toronto. Her scientific illustration work has been featured by NASA, BBC, and UNESCO, as well as published in academic journals such as Nature, Cell, and JAMA. Recently, she founded Biophile Media – an online platform for educational visuals and creative storytelling that demystifies science, health, and climate research.  Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Avesta’s Instagram - @azuravesta and @biophile.media Avesta’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/avestarastan/  Avesta’s Substack - https://azuravesta.substack.com/  Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

    32 min
  4. Chemist | Dr. Colleen Kelley

    Feb 24

    Chemist | Dr. Colleen Kelley

    Episode Highlights: Why college freshmen struggle with chemistry (and why it’s not their fault) How an unfulfilled childhood career dream can still put you on the right path What it’s really like to take an Army ROTC scholarship as a first-generation student Timestamps: 0:40 - What is a chemist? 2:14 - What does a typical day look like? 3:44 - What do you enjoy? 5:23 - What do you dislike? 23:47 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations? 30:57 - What were your career milestones? 33:55 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional? About Our Guest: Dr. Colleen Kelley is a chemist, educator, and molecular literacy advocate dedicated to making chemistry fun, accessible, and meaningful for learners of all ages. A retired University of Arizona chemistry professor with over 30 years of teaching experience, Colleen is the creator of a children’s chemistry comic book series designed to build foundational fluency with atoms, molecules, and the periodic table. Her work was featured in the PBS short documentary Comic Book Chemistry, which won an Emmy in 2023, and later inspired her 2025 TEDx talk, Molecular Literacy for Ages 8–108. Colleen holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University, conducted postdoctoral research in France as a Chateaubriand Fellow under Nobel Laureate Jean-Marie Lehn, and has published four textbooks, more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, and presented her work internationally. Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Colleen’s Website - https://kidschemicalsolutions.com/ Colleen’s TedX Talk - https://youtu.be/OwQfs0pIO-I?si=pbHRmJzppTjWtKtz  Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching

    39 min
  5. Ecological & Sustainability Consultant | Dr. Aaron Stoler

    Jan 27

    Ecological & Sustainability Consultant | Dr. Aaron Stoler

    Episode Highlights: Learn how to think like a consultant starting with the lingo (proactive vs. reactive) How changing your major six times can lead to career clarity, not chaos What really happens after academic burnout — and how to rebuild a fulfilling career Timestamps: 0:28 - What is an Ecological & Sustainability Consultant? 1:36 - What does a typical day look like? 16:33 - What do you enjoy? 20:29 - What do you dislike? 23:29 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations? 35:29 - What were your career milestones? 48:24 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional? About Our Guest: Aaron Stoler, Ph.D. is a Managing Scientist in the Ecological and Biological Sciences practice at Exponent, and is based in Philadelphia. With over 20 years of research experience, Dr. Stoler is an applied ecologist who integrates foundational ecological theory, traditional knowledge, and innovative technologies to deliver sustainable solutions across industry, government, and academia. His expertise spans biodiversity monitoring, restoration ecology, life cycle analysis, wetland and forest ecology, and multivariate analysis of complex experimental designs. Dr. Stoler holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh and is a Certified Senior Ecologist. He has previously worked as an associate professor at Stockton University (NJ), as a research scientist for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and as applied ecologist with ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc.  Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

    54 min

  6. 12/30/2025 ·  Bonus

    Where Are They Now? 3 Career Updates

    Episode Highlights: What it really takes to build a biotech startup from scratch Why your medical speciality isn’t as fixed as you think How to navigate your job search while employed  Timestamps: Dr. Darrell Marshall Original episode aired 2/8/2023 (Episode 16) 0:33 - What are you up to now since we last spoke? 6:01 - What drew you to this new opportunity? 9:41 - What does a typical day look like, and how does it compare to your previous role? 19:30 - What’s one lesson from this transition that could help others? Dr. Anna Buck Original episode aired 8/9/2022 (Episode 11) 23:44 - What are you up to now since we last spoke? 24:14 - What drew you to this new opportunity? 26:18 - What does a typical day look like, and how does it compare to your previous role? 30:11 - What’s one lesson from this transition that could help others? Lauren Bretz Original episode aired 5/10/2023 (Episode 18) 34:40 - What are you up to now since we last spoke? 35:34 - What drew you to this new opportunity? 40:34 - What does a typical day look like, and how does it compare to your previous role? 44:29 - What’s one lesson from this transition that could help others? About Our Guests: Dr. Darrell Marshall is CEO and founder of Total Analysis. He holds a PhD in Bioanalytical Chemistry, specializing in infectious diseases, ionization product development, and machine learning. Dr. Anna Buck is a board-certified physician assistant, who has recently transitioned from primary care and orthopedic specialities to dermatology. Lauren Bretz is a Data Scientist with 9+ years of industry experience and now leads her own team building client-facing algorithms and data-driven optimizations at Stitch Fix.  Prefer to watch your podcasts? Watch this episode on patreon.com/diverseroutes  Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

    53 min

  7. 11/25/2025 ·  Bonus

    Career Coach Series | Cancer Research Scientist | Dr. Reginald Hill

    [SPECIAL SERIES] This episode is part of a special 3-part Career Coaching Series, where each coach at Success in Science shares their unique career journey in STEM. Guided by a set of thoughtful questions, the series explores pivotal moments like choosing a major, navigating graduate school, landing that first science job, and making bold career pivots. Along the way, you’ll hear candid reflections on identity, work-life balance, and the role coaching can play in opening new doors. If you connect with their story, they just might be the right career coach for you—scroll down for a link to our website where you can schedule a free 30-minute chat with them. About Our Guest/Coach: Dr. Reginald Hill is a cancer biologist, educator, and science communicator with more than two decades of experience advancing translational research and mentoring the next generation of scientists. He earned his Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his B.S. in Biology from Florida A&M University. Reggie’s research has centered on how the tumor microenvironment and biophysical stresses drive cancer progression and treatment resistance, particularly in pancreatic cancer. He previously served as Director of Tumor Biology and Microenvironment at the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine and as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Video Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Episode Highlights: How to negotiate multiple job offers and choose wisely Why you might be sabotaging your career decisions based on common misconceptions about working in industry Why networking matters long after you’ve landed your job Timestamps: Overview 0:24 Who are you professionally and personally? 1:43 What are the major milestones in your career journey? Undergraduate 17:39 Why did you choose your major? 18:21 Most valuable course? 19:33 What did you do outside of classes? Graduate School 22:14 Why grad school? 28:49 What was your biggest takeaway? Career Journey 30:22 What was your first real science job? 37:33 What was the day-to-day like? 40:57 Why did you leave that job? Coaching 49:39 What brought you to coaching? 52:37 What challenges do you most enjoy helping with? 56:00 Who do you most enjoy working with? 57:28 How would you describe your coaching style? 58:46 What difference has coaching made in your life? Closing 1:01:33 If you could change one thing in your career, what would it be? 1:02:29 What do you wish you’d known sooner? 1:03:09 Most important piece of advice for listeners? Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

    1h 7m
  8. Career Coach Series | Climate Ecologist & Policy Specialist | Dr. Aaron Grade

    10/28/2025 ·  Bonus

    Career Coach Series | Climate Ecologist & Policy Specialist | Dr. Aaron Grade

    [SPECIAL SERIES] This episode is part of a special 3-part Career Coaching Series, where each coach at Success in Science shares their unique career journey in STEM. Guided by a set of thoughtful questions, the series explores pivotal moments like choosing a major, navigating graduate school, landing that first science job, and making bold career pivots. Along the way, you’ll hear candid reflections on identity, work-life balance, and the role coaching can play in opening new doors. If you connect with their story, they just might be the right career coach for you—scroll down for a link to our website where you can schedule a free 30-minute chat with them. About Our Guest/Coach: Dr. Aaron Grade is a Senior Project Analyst at an environmental consulting firm and one of our career coaches here at Success in Science. With a passion for conservation and climate policy, Aaron's career has spanned academia, government, and industry and taken him from Connecticut to Montana to Florida and back to the Northeast. His journey has led him to a remote field camp in the hills of Arizona, staring face-to-face with a barracuda in the Caribbean, and even in the White House Navy Mess for lunch with the President’s Science Advisor! Video Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠ Episode Highlights: When it makes sense to generalize instead of specialize How to choose a major and build the most valuable technical skills for environmental policy The edge working with a career coach can give you on the job market Timestamps: Overview 0:37 Who are you professionally and personally? 3:53 What are the major milestones in your career journey? Undergraduate 14:33 Why did you choose your major? 17:42 Most valuable course? 19:49 What did you do outside of classes? Graduate School 23:30 Why grad school? 27:53 What was your application strategy? Career Journey 32:52 What was your first real science job? 39:39 What was the day-to-day like? 42:54 Why did you leave that job? 47:14 Which skills have been most valuable? Coaching 52:16 What brought you to coaching? 56:43 What challenges do you most enjoy helping with? 59:06 Who do you most enjoy working with? 1:03:26 How would you describe your coaching style? 1:07:35 What difference has coaching made in your life? Closing 1:10:49 If you could change one thing in your career, what would it be? 1:12:41 What do you wish you’d known sooner? 1:14:46 Most important piece of advice for listeners? Looking for career support? Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

    1h 18m
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With so many career options in science and medicine it can be hard to know which path to take. Join the founder of Success in Science Career Coaching and published scientist Dr. Cassie Briggs as she interviews a diverse range of inspiring professionals - from physician assistants to hydrogeologists - who share their unique career journeys. If you are a student or early career professional exploring career options, navigating opportunities and obstacles along your career journey, or looking for advice on how to land your dream job in science or medicine, this is the podcast for you!

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