Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 11/1/2023 12:00:00 AM
Rajesh Krishna, PhD, Distinguished Scientist, Certara, Princeton, New Jersey
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
I would have to say the role I played in laying the blueprint, building, and developing quantitative clinical pharmacology both as a discipline within my former employment as well as within the scientific community stands apart. I was fortunate to work with some of the finest minds in integrative sciences and have learned a lot in the process. These interactions which started in the early 2000s helped shape the course of modeling and simulation yielding many impactful research outputs.
Who has inspired you in your career?
There have been several individuals, educators, scientists, and managers alike who have inspired me in my pursuit of scientific inquiry and excellence. My graduate advisor, Dr. Lawrence Mayer, was instrumental in my early success as a graduate student. He was a serial entrepreneur with a passion for education and instilled in me the importance of scientific and business acumen in advancing new ideas. Many managers have likewise inspired me as well. Drs. Sanjeev Kaul, John Wagner, and Paul Fackler all have empowered me to pursue unlimited scientific exploration with high trust. Working with Paul was unique in that it helped me understand the softer side of leadership. These outstanding educators and leaders have had an indelible impact on my scientific career.
What is the most important leadership lesson you have learned the hard way?
The pace at which scientific advances are happening is at an all-time high. New technologies are more in play now than ever, whether that is a platform innovation or a product innovation. I have always had a flair for being at the forefront of innovation. Unfortunately, new things bring more risks of adaptation and socialization. Often, organizations are laser-focused on immediate aspects of investment, and ideas to improve a process or a product are often met with trepidation and resistance. Building persuasive arguments in support of these innovations comes at a significant personal and social cost. Over time, I have learned that I needed to resort to softer skills to ensure new ideas are considered for implementation. This prompted me to explore and complete an employer-funded MBA program that helped me better understand and appreciate organizational psychology and negotiation skills to improve my conversation rate for new ideas, making me a successful innovator.
When you are not working, how do you spend your free time?
I enjoy the outdoors whether that is traveling or hiking. Any trail in nature is time well spent. Since the pandemic, I have also started to do some stone painting. I also do pro bono teaching and love writing scientific blogs. I have my own blog page through my employer's site: https://www.certara.com/rajs-corner-blog-roundup/.
Rajesh has been a member of ASCPT since 2000 and participates on the steering committee of the Rare Diseases Community and the Drug Utilizations and Outcomes Community.
