Tell us a little bit more about your role.
What’s interesting about this role is that we get to focus on understanding every aspect of the market environment for a particular therapeutic area, everything from the payer landscape to how HCPs are making decisions. We’ve also started to delve into how employee benefit managers are shifting what coverage and access looks like for new therapies coming to market.
I manage and coordinate various projects, working closely with clients to ensure that we deliver insights that meet their needs and address their key objectives. As director, I also help ensure that our team members have the tools they need. I might provide feedback on the materials they’re using, or I might meet with them to make sure we’re aligned on strategy. Overall, I try to help my team get exposure to new learning opportunities, because it’s important that we continue to grow in our roles and expand our knowledge base.
How did you join the company? What in your background brought you to pharma?
I earned my master’s in public health, and then I also got an MBA from Boston University. I first came to the market access landscape because I was looking for the intersection of these two areas: I wanted a job with a public health mindset but in a faster paced, more business-oriented dynamic.
So before I joined MMIT, I worked in a boutique market access consulting firm. I learned so much about how market access functions in the U.S., and I had the opportunity to learn about some really interesting products. I wanted to stay in the same vein but work across different therapeutic areas, because I really enjoy learning about new spaces. When the opportunity at MMIT came up, I was ready to move into a more research-focused position with room for growth.
What does your day-to-day usually look like?
Each day is different, depending on what our workload looks like. My days are very project-oriented. I might be connecting with clients, working on key deliverables, or focusing on different elements of the research, whether that be fielding interviews or conducting surveys. Alongside that, I’m also supporting our commercial team, being available to answer questions about how to best conduct this research or how to create a solution or a strategy that would work for a specific client.
What are some of the larger projects you’re working on?
For the most part, the larger projects are those that have multiple elements, a qualitative component and a quantitative component, or those that continue over several months or years. Right now, I’m really enjoying working with one of my clients as they approach launch. We’ve had a long-term engagement with them since their product was in Phase II. We’ve conducted multiple Advisory Boards for them, both live and virtual, and now we’re working on developing their launch strategy, setting reasonable expectations, and anticipating market reception. We’re merging the insights we’re hearing from payers and HCPs and tying that feedback to the quantitative results we’re getting in from surveys.
What are some of the common challenges of your role?
If we have a complicated scenario to solve, it can be challenging to ensure we’re asking the right questions to our respondents, to make sure we’re generating the type of insights we need. We might need to finesse what we’re asking to ensure we get the most thoughtful output, and we have to be careful not to introduce bias. If a client has a clear understanding or expectation of what the answers will be, and they’re hoping the research confirms that hypothesis, it can be difficult when we aren’t hearing confirmatory responses. I We then need to relay that information to the client in such a way that they can potentially shift their approach.
What’s been your career highlight to date?
When I get to work on a really interesting project that’s gone really well, those are the moments that stand out for me. I particularly enjoy working with clients over a longer time period, because I like to see how much we’ve been able to achieve in every project we’ve done for them, both individually and cumulatively. When you do have that longevity, it’s a chance to see how your research influences the evolution of their strategy, which is really rewarding.
My growth at MMIT has also been a career highlight for me, as I’ve been able to grow and take on new opportunities in a short period of time. I started as a manager in October 2022, and then was promoted to senior manager in 2024 before becoming a director this year. I’m grateful for the continued opportunity to keep learning.
What trends are you seeing across the industry that MMIT is in a unique position to help with?
Clients are asking us a lot of questions right now about ongoing policy changes, as so much is happening at a federal level. Because policies feel so dynamic, clients are concerned about what’s coming next.
We’re in a unique position to answer those questions because we have such a good relationship with our payer panel. While our payers can’t predict the future, we do get really honest and forthright feedback about their expectations in the next two years. We know what they’re moving full-speed ahead on, and where they’re holding off until further notice. Our clients have found that data very useful.
Also, there are so many trends about AI implementation and how that’s playing a role in payers’ decision-making—how it’s influencing how products are added onto formulary and how patients are approved or denied for those products. That’s very important for clients to understand as they work to reduce those barriers to access, especially if the process becomes more automated.
Which company principle resonates most with you?
Definitely humility, gratitude, and learning! I love the fact that I get to learn so much about different indications and how the markets are evolving, both within TAs and across the industry. I’m also continually learning about various ways our existing products and our new products can add value for clients, and I find that really engaging as well.
What would you tell someone just starting their career with MMIT?
It’s really important to collaborate with others and use every opportunity as a learning moment. I have learned so much from watching and listening to others, whether it’s observing how a project manager rolls out a new project or how other researchers interact with clients. For new employees, it’s particularly important to be an active participant in conversations, and also to solicit feedback from your colleagues. Just asking the question ‘What would you recommend in this situation?’ can be very helpful, because you hear different perspectives and can integrate the best bits of advice as you refine your own approach.
What do you like most about working at MMIT?
I really love working with my team, all of my colleagues across the Advisory and Insights organization. We’re a very collaborative group. We really trust one another to provide honest, thoughtful feedback. We also support each other when work gets hectic and you need an extra hand. I also love the flexibility of working remotely, and I really appreciate the fact that everyone is accountable for the quality of the work we’re producing even though we’re not ‘together’ as a team in the traditional, in-person sense.
What do you like to do outside of work?
One of my favorite activities is reading. I’m part of a book club that gets together once a month and rehashes a book we’ve just read, which I really enjoy. And I also recently got into pottery, which has been an excellent life de-stressor. It’s also made me understand that I am indeed a perfectionist. It’s a good stretch of my patience skills to accept that all my pottery is kind of terrible right now, but it will eventually improve! Other than those hobbies, I also love being out in nature.
