Name |
Paroo Uppal |
Job Title |
Senior Director Marketing |
Company |
Baxter Healthcare Corporation |
City, State |
Deerfield, Illinois |
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1. Please briefly describe what you do. |
I look for new scientific advances or medical therapies that our company could help bring to patients around the world. I help to identify these new ideas, and then to evaluate them in terms of their ability to meet an unmet medical need. I look at if the idea is patentable, if it has value to physicians and patients, if it has value to our company, and if we would be able to create a clinical and regulatory path to bring this new technology to market. My current area of focus is within Biotechnology working on stem cell therapies.
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2. How many years have you been working in a science related field? |
I have been at Baxter for 17 years and have always worked on the business aspect of scientific products.
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3. What degrees do you hold and from what Universities? |
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Ceramic Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.
I also hold a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD,
And a Masters in Business Administration Degree from Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
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4. What subject in school was the most challenging for you? Why? |
I had the hardest time in history and geography. Looking back I think it is because I am a visual learner and these topics were hard to bring to life. I also did not understand why they were so important and I did not see the new exciting discoveries and thinking about these topics until recently.
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5. What subject in school did you enjoy the most? Why? |
I enjoyed biology, physiology and reading/writing. I think the sciences opened up a whole new world of how things work- especially our bodies. I had no idea how well engineered they are. I also loved that not everything was known and people were actively working on new ideas every day. I loved writing as I realized it was important to be able to express myself in some way and I was not a good public speaker. Writing became my way of sharing my thoughts and points of view with others.
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6. What/who inspired your interest in science? |
My AP Biology teacher was a great inspiration to me in High School. Also my father is a dermatologist and always took the time to help me understand biology and chemistry. In college I had a wonderful biomedical engineering professor who I still am lucky enough to work with today!
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7. What impact does your work have on society? Why is it important that other people learn about and consider your profession? |
I hope that one day the stem cell therapy we are working on will be able to be given to patients around the world who have heart disease. I also know that bringing a new treatment out into the market is a long path and that even if we do not succeed in that endeavor, we will have paved the way with many lessons for the next group to try.
I think it is important for young, bright, energetic and curious minds to apply themselves in any subject that they are passionate about. The sciences require great problem solvers, people who don’t take no for an answer and those that are willing to take a risk and try something new. It is a path that can lead to a fun and constantly changing career.
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8. What do you like most about your job? |
I love that I get to learn new things all the time. I have worked on diseases such as sepsis and diabetes, technologies such as DNA chips and water purification, and looked at healthcare practices in all parts of the world. I am challenged mentally every day and meet people like me who are not looking for an easy answer but a new answer.
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9. What challenges have you faced in your career? |
I am a person who is drawn to new areas and like change. I have had to learn how to make that change possible for myself. Working in a big company means you must look out for yourself and find the right environment where you will thrive. This often takes work and diligence but it is critical.
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10. What other thoughts/comments would you like to share with people considering a career in science? |
I encourage you to talk to people that are in scientific careers and seek out places and opportunities that are also the right fit for your personal life and personality.
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