蜜桃直播 alumna Ramya Kartikeyan was recently named to , which honors women who have made noteworthy accomplishments in the medical marketing business. She also received the organization鈥檚 40 Under 40 Award for 2022.
Kartikeyan鈥檚 achievements extend beyond the world of marketing. As an undergraduate intern, she contributed to the initial research that helped GSK develop the malaria vaccine approved in 2021. As a doctoral researcher, she discovered mechanisms controlling the production of tumor proteins that caused devastating neurodegenerative disease from JC polyomavirus infection.
One aspect of working as a bench scientist that Kartikeyan found frustrating was not getting to play a more significant role in whether the therapies she worked on ever reached the market.
鈥淚 was working on a project with Biogen to test a drug on the disease that I studied,鈥� Kartikeyan said. 鈥淥nce we finished delivering our investigational results, which were favorable, it just went away. Which is disappointing after you鈥檝e spent a year working on it.鈥�
She began to get curious about taking a product to market. With this in mind, she considered applying for Cornell鈥檚 Johnson School鈥檚 accelerated MBA program, which was also STEM-focused.
She was close to completing her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University. She knew she needed to see if there were other more biopharma-focused degrees. At her weekly journal club, a friend told her about 蜜桃直播.
Kartikeyan realized that 蜜桃直播鈥檚 biopharma-focused programs offered many of the same benefits as the Cornell program, specifically focusing on what interested her. She enrolled in 蜜桃直播鈥檚 Postdoctoral Professional Master鈥檚 Program in Bioscience Management, a nine-month program tailored to PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with science backgrounds, providing them with the business, management, and networking skills needed to transition into industry-related careers within the life sciences successfully.
鈥淚t was a big change, graduating from the very comfortable sense of a PhD program where you feel like your life is figured out鈥攜ou know you鈥檙e going to be a scientist in a lab,鈥� Kartikeyan said.
鈥淏ut I think making the plunge was the right choice鈥攐bviously because of where I am now, but also because of everything I learned. It was total immersion.鈥�
She values working with such faculty as Professor of Management Dr. Steven Casper and the friendships and connections she developed with classmates at 蜜桃直播. One classmate even helped her land a position as Senior Healthcare Analyst in Infectious Diseases at GlobalData, where she learned skills that she still uses today in her current role as Senior Director of Market Intelligence for Myriad Genetics.
In medical marketing, one of Kartikeyan鈥檚 notable accomplishments was for Intouch Seven, where she helped launch the V Is For Vyvanse campaign for Takeda鈥檚 ADHD product in 2020. Her team earned the 2020 Manny Award for the Best Use of Immersive Technology for Ben鈥檚 Room; a VR experience focused on highlighting the disease burden of ADHD in Ben, a prospective young child.
鈥淭he purpose was to reveal not only the burden of these symptoms on the child but also on the parent or caregiver,鈥� Kartikeyan said.
The VR allowed viewers to experience life through the perspective of Ben鈥檚 mother, revealing house scenes and social interactions that paint a realistic picture of what life looks like for an undiagnosed and untreated child with ADHD.
鈥淚n this way, we were helping physicians to understand that you鈥檙e not just treating that person, but you鈥檙e helping that person to maintain their social life and influencing how they interact with the people around them who love them,鈥� Kartikeyan said. 鈥淎nd we are creating a sense of empathy for what this child鈥檚 going through, even if he can鈥檛 articulate it.鈥�
Now at Myriad Genetics, she can utilize all her skill sets鈥攊ncluding scientific research and market analysis鈥攚hile honoring her original goal, which is to obtain more profound knowledge of all the elements involved in bringing a drug to market. She works with multiple teams, including business development and marketing, to help them determine the salient information when presenting their product to internal executives or external stakeholders.
Kartikeyan鈥檚 rich and varied career trajectory reflects the unique qualities she brings to the table. First, her extensive science background makes her a rarity in marketing. Additionally, she only recently became a U.S. citizen after 20 years of navigating different visa requirements and thus offers the perspective of living in other countries and experiencing their healthcare systems.
She emphasizes the value of expanding one鈥檚 horizons regarding career options.
鈥淵ou can grow your repertoire and gain experience in myriad ways,鈥� Kartikeyan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 myopic to think that the only outcome you can expect is to go to a company and work within a specific function.鈥�
She received some advice that still resonates as a student at Penn State, where she had lunch with a man who had worked for GE and in the fields of sports medicine and medical diagnostic equipment.
鈥淗e told me that it is outdated to believe you will have one job for your whole life,鈥� Kartikeyan said. 鈥淚鈥檝e taken that to heart. I鈥檓 approaching every job from the angle of what it will allow me to learn. You cannot learn everything in one role or even at one company. That was a very freeing piece of advice.鈥�
For Casper, Kartikeyan鈥檚 success reflects her character and years of dedication to the sciences.
鈥淩amya Kartikeyan is an exceptional bioscience industry executive and leader,鈥� Casper said. 鈥淚 had the pleasure of working with her in classes and on a team-based project during her time at 蜜桃直播. She showed exceptional teamwork skills and empathy. I鈥檓 not surprised she was selected for the MM+M Women to Watch list. We are so proud of her continued success!鈥�