Dr. Masannat Credits Networking Opportunities at Moffitt with Career Growth

"I heard amazing things about Moffitt and it was definitely the right choice for me," said Jude Masannat, PhD, PMP while discussing her decision to complete her postdoctoral fellowship at Moffitt. Dr. Masannat was searching for a postdoctoral opportunity that had a heavy emphasis on clinical translation research. She wanted to be integrated with the clinicians and the patients while working in the lab. She found an opening in Dr. Christine Chung’s lab where there was a lot of collaboration between lab and clinic.

Dr. Masannat was not only hands-on in the lab doing experiments but was also critical in supervising lab activities. She regularly coordinated the tracking and monitoring of samples, connected and collaborated with core facilities and other labs, and managed the organization of the lab projects. It was here where she picked up a lot of project management skills. She was also able to be close to patient data and information which gave her perspective and allowed her to learn a lot of clinical terminologies.

Dr. Masannat craved something different than the usual postdoc experience, however. She had a strong urge to learn about many things outside the lab. So she acquired a large amount of project management experience and earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, worked on research grants and partnerships that gave her more knowledge about different kinds of diseases, and built relationships with principal investigators and key stakeholders. She continued asking for more experiences outside the lab to explore all possibilities. "At Moffitt, everyone is welcome to challenge themselves and explore," stated Dr. Masannat, "Networking with other departments at Moffitt allowed me to learn so much outside of the typical realm of just science."

After completing her postdoc in Dr. Chung’s lab, Dr. Masannat continued to work at Moffitt as the research partnerships program manager and then switched over to work in the Office of Scientific Development as a scientific development administrator managing large, complex grants.

These experiences led Dr. Masannat to pursue a career in medical affairs. Currently, Dr. Masannat is a medical information specialist in the Medical Affairs Department at Guardant Health. Guardant Health is a pharmaceutical company that has a liquid biopsy – a blood-based test – for comprehensive cancer genotyping for advanced solid tumors. Based on the genotyping, they figure out what the best treatment is and if clinical trials are available.

Dr. Masannat is involved in data analysis, literature reviews and searches for relevant information about the most up-to-date findings, and works closely with medical science liaisons and product development specialists. She’s able to draw on her experiences at Moffitt in her new position. "I get to use all the skills I’ve learned from Moffitt to the fullest extent."

Dr. Masannat’s advice to all trainees is to "network, network, network!" She encourages trainees to take advantage of all the opportunities out there and build relationships as often as they can. Talk to people, break out of your shell, show yourself and be proud of yourself. "It’s important to have a voice," said Dr. Masannat, "It’s so important to speak out. I’ve done it multiple times and it only played to my advantage. People will respect your opinions."

Lastly, let us all congratulate Dr. Masannat for being selected as a member of the University of Florida College of Medicine’s Medical Alumni Association Board of Directors - making her the youngest member and also the first-ever PhD to join the board. A truly fantastic accomplishment!