Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 10/1/2022 12:00:00 AM

Jordan Brooks, PharmD, Fellow, University of California, San Francisco, California

Who Has Inspired You in Your Career?
There have been many individuals who have inspired me in my career. I feel so fortunate to have trained at an institution chock full of passionate, curious, and dedicated clinicians and scientists. It is hard not to feel inspired in such an environment. More specifically, I am inspired daily by my current mentors Drs. Radia Savic and Janel Long-Boyle.

How Do You Keep Focused and Motivated?
I feel lucky to have research projects focusing in an area that I am passionate about and overlapping directly with patient care. This, in conjunction with feeling constantly inspired by mentors and colleagues, translates to a deeper sense of motivation. That being said, during the day-to-day grind of data cleaning and analysis, I find that secluding myself into a distraction-less (as much as possible) area while streaming podcasts and sipping a bottomless cup of coffee has the best chance of maximizing my ability to focus.

What Was Your Childhood Dream Job?
I have always loved reading. As a child, I particularly enjoyed the fantasy genre—escaping into a full-fledged world with its unique but familiar details. I used to fantasize about becoming a writer and being able to create such places and stories out of nothing. Writing still has a particular draw for me. Even though the writing is not so fantastical in science, I find myself looking forward to the “telling the story” part of any project.

When You Are Not Working, How Do You Spend Your Free Time?
While I do not have any highlights regarding involved, time-intensive hobbies, I do enjoy a myriad of smaller activities in my free time. I love playing strategic board and card games with friends and family, watching and discussing films/TV, and staying active playing racquetball and pickleball. My spouse and I enjoy exploring the wealth of vegetarian/vegan restaurants and craft coffee shops in the Bay Area where we live. As I mentioned before, I have always enjoyed reading and one silver lining of the pandemic has been more time at home to enjoy this hobby. In particular, my spouse and I have grown quite fond of listening to audiobooks while working on jigsaw puzzles—a practice which brings out the best of both activities.

Dr. Brooks has been a member of ASCPT since 2021.