Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 11/1/2024 12:00:00 AM
Erick Velasquez, PhD, Drug Development Trainee Fellow, Genentech, South San Francisco, California
What does being a 2024 Presidential Trainee mean to you?
As an early career pharmacometrician, being recognized for my work is extremely validating, especially at such a big conference like ASCPT. Additionally, being highlighted at the conference gave me the opportunity to immediately feel like a contributing member of the broader community, allowing me to engage with colleagues and fellows in a much easier fashion.
What has been the greatest challenge in your career?
When I first started my career in science, I often found myself alienated from the broader scientific community because of my differences. As a queer Latino immigrant who comes from a low-income background, I often lacked the social capital to navigate these spaces. However, I found that if I leaned on my resilience and reached out to members of the community (even those members that did not represent or fully understand the intersectionality of my identities) I could build my skills, and people would celebrate me for my differences. This is one of my proudest professional accomplishments since it fuels my creativity and allows me to be a better mentor for future generations of diverse scientists.
How do you stay focused and motivated?
I often stay focused and motivated by thinking of the bigger impact that we have on society. I think, as pharmacometricians and clinical pharmacologists, we play a pivotal role in the drug development process. Because of my identity, I feel a social responsibility to use my work to make clinical trials more equitable. We live in an exciting, fast-paced environment in which new methods, data modalities, and algorithms allow us to challenge the way in which we think about creating equitable clinical trials, and I am excited to be part of the process.
When you are not working, how do you spend your free time?
When not working, I prioritize spending time with people I love, like friends and family, and trying to learn or experience something new! I enjoy baking, swimming, going to theme parks (by myself or with friends), reading books, listening to good podcasts, or trying out new restaurants! More recently, I have been trying to “forest bathe” which is a Japanese practice of relaxation where you go and observe nature. I find this helps me de-stress while boosting my senses.
