Job Title: Principal Research Scientist
Company: Eli Lilly and Company
What I Do: I'm a principal research scientist at Eli Lilly and Company.
Education & Training: Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics, Concentration in Statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. Master's Degree and Ph.D. from Cornell. MBA from Purdue University.
Helpful Skills: Wide exposure to statistical methodology, including advanced methods. Computer programming, curiousity and asking questions, thirst for learning the context of a problem, foresight to see problems before they happen and planning to avoid them, project management, communication, and people skills. Creative thinking is important to come up with new methodology and unique solutions to unforseen situations which arise all the time in clinical trials.
Advice for This Career: If you are a junior high school student looking at a high school curriculum, take all the math and statistics programs you can: algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics. Also, look for opportunities to participate in statistics fairs in your area. I would also advise high school , undergraduate, and early graduate students to look for internships in a pharmaceutical or medical device company, in government such as the FDA, NIH, or NCI, a contract research organization, or in an academic research organization.
Average Salary*: $72,610
*According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.