Ivy Blog
Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Molloy
Job Title: Research Technician I
Hometown: Portland, OR
What motivated you to get into the medical field, specifically research?
I’ve wanted to be in research ever since I was an adolescent and heard my first episode of Radiolab. Radiolab was my first foray into science and it was presented in a way that was both accessible and exciting. I became a devoted listener and as I got older began independently exploring the world of science and research on my own. In research, I found a way that I could help people while still being a part of innovation and new ideas, which I didn’t think I could do as well if I were to go down a strictly medical career path.
What made you want to work for the Ivy Brain Tumor Center?
After completing a two-year biotechnology program and an internship at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, I wanted to find a job relevant to my specific interests. My undergraduate degree was in biology with an emphasis in neurophysiology and Barrow Neurological Institute had always been on my radar. I was looking through different job postings when I came across a position in the pharmacodynamics (PD) lab at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. I was drawn to working for the Ivy Center specifically because of its work with brain cancer and its innovative clinical trials. I wanted to work at a place that had meaning and made a positive impact in the community. Conducting research to improve therapeutic treatment for brain cancer absolutely has meaning and is such a worthy cause that I knew I had to apply for the position.
What keeps you motivated when dealing with such a complex disease?
Honestly, it’s the patients. Although I don’t interact with them personally, knowing that they have been given the grave and serious diagnosis of brain cancer and have consented to participate in our trials keeps me motivated. I want to be a part of the solution and help to find a better therapeutic treatment option for them. These patients are putting their health in our hands. I don’t want to squander it.
What does it mean to you to work for the Ivy Center?
Working for the Ivy Center makes me feel like I’m helping to make a positive impact in the world. The work being done here is important and groundbreaking. The principal investigators and lab directors are intelligent, careful and thoughtful. I am so proud to be a part of this team and so grateful that I get to be a part of the work being done here.
What’s the culture like at the Ivy Center? What makes working here different than other research centers?
There’s a strong sense of collaboration, community and communication that I’m not sure exists many other places. The labs here openly communicate and innovate together, and our work ties together seamlessly. I love it since I come from a work background of team service and teamwork. Each lab – pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and preclinical – works so closely with each other that it feels like we’re all part of one big lab and I believe that we are. We’re all working towards the same singular goal of finding a better way to treat brain cancer, and we’re all in this together.