Bettering Lives: SJND Alumni Careers in the Health Sciences

from UPDATE Magazine | Fall 2018

by Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School

Bettering Lives:

Alumni Careers in the Health Sciences

When we set out to create this story, we were astounded by the amount of SJND Alumni doing incredible things in the health sciences. From working on a global initiative addressing world health issues, to overseeing cancer drug clinical trials and finding answers to families’ questions when they lose a loved one, the alumni featured here have extraordinary and diverse careers. And yet despite their varying professions, we were able to find a commonality between all of them: they are passionate about serving others and bettering lives.

Thank you to those who gave us a look inside the day-to-day of their professional lives and we hope you enjoy reading about their paths, experiences and advice for current students and young alumni.

Cyrus Shahpar ’92

Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team at the Resolve to Save Lives Initiative of Vital Strategies, Emergency Physician and former Officer in U.S. Public Health Service

B.A., Public Health, John Hopkins University M.P.H.; Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley M.D. and M.B.A.; University of California, Irvine Emergency Medicine Residency/Chief Resident; Johns Hopkins Hospital Fellowship, Epidemic Intelligence Service (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Diplomate, American Board of Emergency Medicine

What is Resolve to Save Lives? What does your current role as Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team entail?

Resolve to Save Lives is a five-year, $225 million campaign funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was founded in 2017 by Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and coordinated by Vital Strategies, which works in 60 countries to address the world’s most challenging health issues.

Resolve to Save Lives has two major areas of work, cardiovascular disease and preventing epidemics. As Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team, I lead the day-today operations for the latter. We help governments in low- and middle income countries strengthen their critical public health infrastructure, secure donor funding, and implement sustainable programs to strengthen core areas to find, stop and prevent epidemics. This includes things like strengthening disease surveillance systems, national laboratories, emergency operations centers, and a trained workforce of disease detectives. We also support partners like the World Health Organization, World Bank Group, and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This summer we launched a website (www.preventepidemics. org) to highlight the gaps in global preparedness. Typically, I spend 25 percent of my time traveling internationally to work with countries or international organizations.

Why did you choose this line of work? What went into your decision to choose this area of focus?

I was always interested in medicine and public health and found a career that let me to do both. Clinically, I work as a part-time emergency physician, most recently at Emory University in Atlanta. This career is flexible enough to accommodate my primary job in global health which involves a lot of international travel. I pursued global health after finishing Emergency Medicine residency, and I worked at US CDC for eight years in humanitarian crises around the world. At the CDC I served as a Commander in the US Public Health Service and worked with humanitarian organizations including UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, and WFP in large emergencies around the world. This includes the Haiti earthquake and cholera outbreak, monsoon floods in Pakistan, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Syrian refugee crises in northern Jordan, famine in Kenya, and the West African Ebola epidemic. I helped found the first Global Rapid Response Team at CDC and served as the Team Lead for a team of over 400 responders who spent 15,000 person-days supporting emergencies around the world from 2015-2017. In late 2017, I decided to leave the US Government and CDC for an amazing opportunity at Resolve to Save Lives. I did this because I felt we would be able to have more impact on addressing critical gaps around the world, and so far we are on track to do just that.

Many of the most difficult areas in outbreak control are in insecure areas...We cannot control outbreaks in areas in which we cannot work safely.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges we face as new diseases/epidemics arise?

The biggest challenges are often the most basic ones. This includes things like transportation to remote areas, basic surveillance systems and lab tests to detect diseases earlier, and emergency coordination mechanisms to better manage a response. A trained workforce that can rapidly respond to outbreaks is a common gap around the world. Effective risk communications are often missing as we are seeing in the current Ebola outbreak in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Affected communities are resistant to monitoring, treatment and vaccination, and we need better ways to engage and educate them. Lastly, insecurity is a huge challenge as violence against humanitarian and healthcare workers is increasing. Many of the most difficult areas in outbreak control are in insecure areas as we are seeing with polio eradication in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We cannot control outbreaks in areas in which we cannot work safely.

What is the most rewarding part of your line of work?

The most rewarding part is seeing the positive impact of the work you are doing to improve health so that people can enjoy their lives. This is somewhat inherent in emergencies, whether you are in an urban emergency department here in a major US city or in a remote village in Africa providing food for children. I have seen that people are genuinely thankful and happy around the world, even when they have little material goods and face dire circumstances. I have been very lucky to be able to have a career that lets me meet vulnerable populations and work with amazing people from around the world. I have also had great teammates that have made a huge difference in saving lives.

Jasmine Frazier ’09

Coroner Investigator at Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroners Office (Former Autopsy Technician in the Bay Area)

B.S., Cal Poly Pomona; POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Certified

Tell us about your work as an Autopsy Technician.

While in college, I began interning at the Alameda County Coroners Office during the summer of 2010. I assisted with preparing bodies for examination, fingerprinting, taking toxicology samples, evidence collection and photography. In 2015, I began working for a private autopsy company as a traveling autopsy technician. There I procured tissue for many research facilities across the country, including Stanford University and the Boston Brain Bank. I also worked with law firms nationwide to procure tissue for mesothelioma cases. In 2017, I began my career with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroners Office as a Forensic Attendant assigned to transport decedents from scenes to the office. My duties included processing and placing the body into the crypt to await autopsy. In July 2018, I was promoted to Coroner Investigator. My current responsibilities include investigating the cause of death for homicides, suicides, accidents or unknown reasons. I conduct interviews of police, family, and witnesses, examine the body and death scene, collect evidence, notify family members and determine what led to the persons death in order to prepare reports and sign death certificates.

Overall, the most challenging assignment of my career was working on the Oakland Ghost Ship fire victims in December, 2016.

What made you choose your line of work? What went into your decision to choose forensic pathology?

I would say taking Mrs. Taylor’s (formerly Stone) anatomy class at SJND in 2007 was the beginning of my interest in science. I found that learning about the human systems and how they worked led to my curiosity of what would cause them to stop working. The class also allowed hands-on discovery of the inside of specimens to become familiar with organs and their locations. My father was working at the Alameda County Coroners Office so I was able to attend their take your child to work day. At the end of the tour, I immediately thought “THIS IS IT!!!” Since I could tolerate the sights and smells and left feeling so excited, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do as a career. I then proceeded to take as many science classes as I could during 11th and 12th grade with a focus on forensic science as a college major.

I’m sure many people assume your job is like what they see on TV shows like “CSI.” Would you say those are accurate portrayals?

This is probably the question that I get asked the most. The TV shows are nothing like reality. The shows make it seem like the pieces fall right into place so that all cases can be solved by the end of the episode. This is so not true. Test results can take weeks to months to get back. Also, identifying bodies and locating next of kin may take a long time or unfortunately with many homeless cases, may never occur.

What is the most gratifying part of your job? What is the most challenging?

Overall, the most challenging assignment of my career was working on the Oakland Ghost Ship fire victims in December, 2016. I assisted with 36 autopsies over three days. It was both physically and mentally draining. In my current job, having to notify families of a lost loved one can be difficult. No one is prepared to receive such news and having to give it is something I perform on a daily basis. It requires patience and compassion but you must remain professional and not get caught up in the emotional aspects. The most gratifying part of my job is giving families answers to their questions. For most people, this provides peace of mind, helps the grieving process and leads to closure. I ensure each family that I will do my best to take care of their loved one and assist them through the process as much as I can.

Bill Connacher ’09

Graduate Student Researcher, University of California, San Diego

Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego (2022) ; B.S., Engineering Physics, University of California, Berkeley

What is your area of focus as a scientist and researcher?

By training I'm a materials scientist with a bit of extra mechanical engineering experience. But to answer your question another way, I focus on topics that I can imagine will improve the healthspan of humans. I want people to live better, not just longer.

Who were your early influencers, and what went into your decision to become a scientist?

From the beginning, my father and through him my grandfather were positive influences on my scientific curiosity. Once that seed was planted there are also a couple individuals (who I've never met) who inspired me to do science: Richard Feynman (I suggest reading "Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman"), Michael Shermer (I also suggest reading "Why People Believe Strange Things"), and Thomas Kuhn who wrote "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," which everyone who is even thinking about a scientific career should read.

By training I'm a materials scientist with a bit of extra mechanical engineering experience...I focus on topics that I can imagine will improve the health-span of humans. I want people to live better, not just longer.

Your lab works on medical devices; could you explain what type of devices these are and what problem(s) they are working to solve?

My lab specializes in acoustic microfluidics. That means that we use essentially sound, though it's not audible at the frequencies we use, to manipulate small amounts of liquid. We tend to apply these technologies to medical devices. I personally am working on a replacement technology for drug delivery to the lungs. The idea is to vibrate a small plate so fast that a fluid in contact with it turns into a fine mist. This may work for many more drug formulations and at a lower cost than the current best technology.

How did you find your niche in the science field? What advice would you give to students contemplating a career as a researcher/scientist?

The answer to that is complex and I don't think I can do it justice, but I'll try. I don't think my path has been optimal. I spent a lot of time thinking about what field would be ideal and daydreaming about the fantastic things I might do if I just stuck with it and worked harder than anyone else. This is the wrong idea. Instead, I would suggest that a young scientist work on whatever they are most curious about at the moment, and see which curiosity maintains momentum the longer they play with it. The more you can maintain a playful attitude about your work the better off you'll be. As a side note, I would suggest getting very comfortable with group work and collaboration. The amount of scientific knowledge that exists now is so large that there are very few meaningful projects that can be accomplished alone. Additionally the most effective scientists that I know are those that enjoy working closely with others. So, for those going into college: form study groups early, go to office hours, speak up and get involved in project teams.

Amanda Enstrom ’97

Senior Director, R&D, Tempest Therapeutics

Ph.D., Immunology, University of California, Davis

What does your role as an Immunologist entail? What is a typical day like?

These days I have traded a lab coat for a computer mouse or meeting room. While I do spend a lot of time analyzing data and planning studies, I am no longer hands-on and am rather on the leadership side. I spend a lot of time thinking about strategy and how to target different cancer types. As part of my job, I have traveled globally and domestically to hospitals and to speak to other people in my field.

My hours can be long, and when I am active on a trial it can mean I am never "off" and need to be accessible to a doctor or team member with a question. This is part of the trade-off of being on the clinical side of research rather than the bench. Sometimes my job is more "powerpoint monkey" and "professional opinion giver" than scientist, but this is a choice that every scientist needs to make (Industry vs. Academia and Bench vs Dry Lab). There are no right answers except the ones that do not motivate you. I enjoy being very close to the clinical trials and to the patients. If I were in school today, I would up my bioinformatics/big data skills as these are growing fields and also very close to decision making/strategy.

Why did you choose this line of work? What went into your decision to choose Immuno-Oncology?

When I was at SJND, I was required to do community service. I conducted mine at an AIDS support center which was in Berkeley. It was an absolute eye opener working with children who had HIV. At the time, HAART therapy was making the news and it was a SHOCK to me that some of the mothers at the center could receive therapy and the children could not because it was still in clinical development. Now I understand why (because of how we protect children participating in clinical trials and insurance, but there are compassionate use rules) but at the time I was outraged and was determined to become a doctor focused on HIV. The joke was on me - while completing my Ph.D. I realized I was much more comfortable in the pathology lab than the ER and erroneously thought that HIV would be cured before I finished medical school. I was unfortunately wrong about that.

At the same time, my grandmother suffered a breast cancer relapse and we found it had spread to her brain and lungs. I had contacts at the hospital I worked at and used them to research clinical trials, and reach out to doctors directly. I would like to believe this prolonged her quality of life in a meaningful way. Watching her deal with the effects of cancer treatment to which she ultimately succumbed, and driven by the promise of vaccines to trick the immune system into fighting cancer, I pivoted to immuno-oncology and have not looked back. Specifically I wanted to stay patient-focused and find ways to balance quality of life with aggressive treatment (with the ultimate goal of a cure). Having cancer touch me so close and personally (again and again) keeps me engaged and focused. I am a true believer and believing in what I do gets me through the sometimes 14+ hour workdays.

Teddy Eusebio ’09

Dentist

B.S., Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, University of California, San Diego; D.D.S., General Practice Residency, University of Michigan

Working in Hospital Dentistry, what was a typical day at work like?

I spent July 2017-July 2018 partaking in a General Practice Residency at the University of Michigan health system. This was an additional year of training and working in a hospital-based dental clinic where we treated patients of different medical complexities and special needs. The patients we treated

In 2016, Teddy spent two weeks in Meru, Kenya as part of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry Global Initiatives Program. In partnership with Kenyan healthcare providers, dentists and teachers, Teddy and his team provided oral hygiene education, preventative care and essential oral hygiene items for approximately 2,200 children between the ages of six and 18 years old.
University of Michigan School of Dentistry

included those who needed dental work for clearance prior to chemo/ radiation therapy, cardiac surgeries, organ transplants, etc. Additionally, we worked out of the operating room treating patients with medical conditions or cognitive impairments that required for them to be placed under general anesthesia for their dental work. Once or twice a week, I would also have to serve as a night call dentist, responding to any emergencies in the emergency department. It was not uncommon for me to have to get up multiple times throughout the night and early hours of the morning to treat patients as they arrived. Patients commonly presented to the emergency department would be those who had experienced some sort of dental trauma (Motor vehicle accidents, sports, etc.) or had acquired large dental infections that resulted in large facial swelling needing intervention. It was a year that taught me not only how to function as a dentist, but to be able to manage the medical conditions or emergency situations that accompany a patient. As of September 2018, I have moved back to Alameda to join my parents’ dental office, to practice dentistry alongside my father.

Why did you choose this line of work? What went into your decision to choose Dentistry?

Growing up as a son of a Dentist, I didn’t always want to pursue the same profession as my father. The decision to pursue dentistry was a culmination of my educational, faith and life experiences. I am thankful to have very supportive parents who supported me in my pursuit for higher learning. Growing up, I always felt God was calling me to serve others. However, it took me many years to figure out how exactly I could serve. While at St. Joseph Elementary School and SJND, I found a love for science through my classes with Mrs. Taylor, among others. This made me want to pursue a degree in the sciences when I attended UC San Diego. And while at UC San Diego, my curiosity and explorations led me to become an active member of the UC San Diego Pre-Dental Society and Student-Run Free Dental Clinics. I started my time there with the thought to check out what dentistry was really like. But it was during this time that I fell in love with the profession. As an undergraduate at UC San Diego, I managed dental clinics that provided free dental care to veterans, homeless and working poor. It was at that time I saw dentistry as a way to impact and affect the community and serve others.

How did your education help influence your career trajectory? Are there any aspects from your SJND experience that you apply to your work today?

SJND was a vital part of my journey. It played a huge part in cultivating the social, faith and educational experiences that have developed me into the person I am today. From the experiences in class, Kairos, FASO, band, tennis, etc., SJND provided me with great teachers, counselors, faith leaders and coaches who guided my development. Before entering SJND, I never felt like a natural leader, but it was there that I was able to develop my leadership qualities. At SJND, I learned how to work with others, became comfortable with public speaking, and learned how to become an active and conscious participant in whatever activities I pursued. I would not be where I am at today were it not for the supportive, collaborative and faithful environment SJND fostered.

Christina Pedley ’05

M.S., Licensed Genetic Counselor at UCSF

B.S., Psychobiology, University of California, Los Angeles; M.S., Genetic Counseling, CaliforniaState University, Stanislaus

Once I discovered the field of genetic counseling, I knew I had found my calling; it combined my intense fascination with genetics and my love of helping others...

What does your role as a Genetic Counselor entail?

Genetic counseling encompasses many different types of roles, most traditionally seeing patients in a clinic, but we are expanding as a profession into genetic testing labs, private companies, insurance companies and beyond. There are many different specialties and areas of practice as well. I work in cancer, meaning I see families with significant personal or family histories of cancer to try to determine if the cancer in their family may have a genetic cause. I assess family histories, order genetic testing, interpret those results, and make personalized cancer screening and prevention recommendations based on the genetic test results and their family history. Traditionally most genetic counselors have worked in the prenatal setting to help families understand the chances of passing on genetic conditions to the next generation, but as our understanding of the genetic role of diseases has deepened, our roles have evolved and expanded into other areas. Nearly half of all genetic counselors now work in the cancer specialty for at least part of their job. Examples of other specialties include prenatal, adult and pediatric genetics, cardiology, neurology, pharmacogenetics, hematology, and infertility. Our roles look different in different clinical settings, but across most roles our jobs typically encompass three main parts: 1. We are genetics experts with years of school on the complexities of genetics and the practical and clinical application of that knowledge. 2. We are teachers. The most important part of my job is to be able to discuss genetics with anyone, regardless of their education or prior genetics knowledge, in a way that makes sense to them. In clinical practice, our main goal is to give our patients the information they need to make the healthcare decision that is right for them in light of their own views and values. In the cancer setting this can mean education about their results and corresponding cancer risks as well as the screening and preventative tools that are available to them. 3. We are counselors. We help people navigate the complex emotions of having or being at risk for a genetic disease. In cancer this can also mean facilitating decision making around healthcare decisions as well as giving tools, both physical (like letters) and emotional, to share this information with their families.

Who/what were your early influencers and how did you know you wanted to pursue a career in the science/medical field?

My earliest influence would have been Ms. Dean my Freshman year at SJND. Before I took her semester-long elective science class, I wanted to be an artist; her class really opened my eyes to how fascinating science can be. I continued to love biology and AP biology with Ms. Dean, chemistry with Mrs. Taylor, as well as volunteering in my community. I wanted to combine these two passions - science and helping others - so by the time I graduated SJND I knew that I wanted a career in the medical field. I then pursued a degree in science at UCLA, took my first genetics class, and I was hooked. From there I changed my major to psychobiology to be able to incorporate more genetics classes. I began to volunteer in a genetics lab and loved every moment of it. Once I discovered the field of genetic counseling, I knew I had found my calling; it combined my intense fascination with genetics and my love of helping others through direct patient contact.

What is the most rewarding part of your line of work?

Working with patients is definitely the most rewarding part of my job. Working in cancer means that I see patients with challenging, sometimes terminal diagnoses, who are often very young and may be very ill. While it is extremely hard to see the toll cancer takes on these young people and their families, it is incredibly rewarding to help them through at least one aspect of their care and potentially help their families. The impact that genetic testing can have for their treatment through targeted chemotherapies or their family through prevention and early detection can potentially be immense. In genetics, the entire family is my patient, and I will often meet with and test entire families to help them understand their future risk and take preventive medical measures. In addition, I am amazed every day when I see the strength and resilience of my patients. I truly love my job and find it very meaningful.

What impact do you think genetic counseling will have in the years to come?

The field is expanding rapidly right now, and due to recent technical advances it will likely spill into all areas of healthcare in the near future. In my specialty of cancer genetics, it is revolutionizing cancer treatment with therapies designed to target specific mutations, which allows for more effective treatment with fewer side effects. The field of genetics is changing rapidly; at times it feels hard to keep up, but it is also very exciting to be involved in genetics right now. I love the idea that I will potentially get to help shape future applications and models of care.

Danielle Belmore ‘79

Anesthesiologist

B.S., Biology/Chemistry, California State University, East Bay; M.D., University of Texas at Houston; Residency, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

What is a typical day at work like for you?

In Anesthesiology, cases start early. Typically, you arrive to work between 6:00-7:00 a.m., depending when your case starts. If you are "on call" you could work until 7:00 a.m. the next day, but usually you work until 6:00-10:00 p.m. depending on your order on the "on call" position.

You have worked in medicine for over 20 years. How have you seen the medical field change and evolve?

Medicine has gone more corporate. Bigger groups are developing. In my specific group, there are 4,100 providers in numerous states across the country. There are many partially physician-owned outpatient surgical centers. These allow for 51 percent ownership by large corporate health systems and 49 percent owned by physicians. Many physicians benefit from this arrangement. There is a decrease in cost for the facility due to physicians being more aware of medical cost, and patients generally like the atmosphere of the small centers.

What advice would you give to current SJND students or young alumni who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field?

The road to being an Anesthesiologist is long. You have to have a lot of ambition and perseverance to complete the training. I love what I do and thoroughly enjoy the operating room arena, but it is not for everyone. Your time off is your own but when you are on call you need to be readily available to go into the operating room. If I had to do it over, I would be an anesthesiologist again.

What is the most rewarding part of being an anesthesiologist?

For me, it would be taking a very frightened patient from beginning to end of surgery. The patient wakes up in the recovery room and states, "We are all done?" Seeing the smile and relief on the patient's face is very rewarding.