Name: Kim Pelak
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Position: Product Manager at Illumina
Company website: https://www.illumina.com/
Hobbies: Skiing, Hiking, Biking, Running, Cooking, Spending time with family and friends
What do you study? I am working on building new products that use genomics to help people who are sick. The product I am working on right now is a product to help people who have cancer (and their doctors) choose the right drug based on the unique combination of genetic changes in that person’s cancer. Our product will provide an important piece of clinical information in a cancer patient’s journey.
Why is it important? Everybody knows someone who has had cancer. Some of those people have survived, and some of them sadly probably have not. The product that I am working on will help more people to survive cancer for longer.
How did you become interested in science? When I was in middle school, I heard about how genomics could be used to help people who were sick, by customizing their treatment and helping us to better understand how diseases impact people differently. After many years in school, I feel very lucky that I was able to make a career in exactly this area.
What do you like about being a scientist? So many things!!
I love that I’m able to help people with my work.
I love that the products I work on can change how doctors practice medicine and provide good options for patients.
I love that I can be a resource for friends and family who are going through difficult times.
I love learning about the world around us, and how science is always advancing and changing as new knowledge is created.
I love understanding a small part of who we are as humans and how our bodies work.
What are some general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
DNA, RNA, mutation, sequencing, software
What are some specific vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
Diagnostic, personalized medicine, targeted therapy, bioinformatics, pipeline