Karen Wilcox
Interview Posted By: Ashley Smith
1. Can you tell us a little about your background? i.e. Where you grew up, what education do you have, a summary of your resume, did you always want to do what you are doing now, when did you start to become interested in STEM, what internships/ volunteering
I grew up in a small town in New Jersey and became interested in biology in general in high school, where I had a biology teacher who loved field work and would take us to the shore where we would collect samples for his fish tanks back at our school. I attended a small liberal arts college (Allegheny College, 1977-1981) where I majored in psychology but with an emphasis on neuroscience. We had to do a senior comprehensive project which allowed me to be in the lab, initiating my own project on epilepsy. After graduation, I worked as a scientist at the DuPont Co in their small but growing neuroscience group. In 1987, after my husband finished grad school, I went back for a PhD in the physiology dept at the University of Pennsylvania. My wonderful mentor was head of the Epilepsy Center and studied basic mechanisms of synaptic transmission. I continued my passion of using electrophysiology techniques to answer important questions regarding neuronal circuit behavior. I was also influenced to study the brain by a mentor I had in college and fueled by the fact that my grandfather died from Parkinson’s disease, and my grandmother and mother had/have a mild form of schizophrenia.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am the chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Utah. Also I have a basic science research lab. I write grants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund the work on epilepsy that we perform. My days are filled with meetings with other University leaders, with my students, with other faculty. My favorite days are spent going over data with my students. My day is never the same as I have many responsibilities. As a chair, I am excited about the opportunity to hire new faculty members for our department and helping the faculty in our department achieve their goals.
3. How does STEM relate to your job? How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
As a scientist, STEM is my job! The work I do know in neuroscience directly stemmed from my PhD work.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
I may have faced some discrimination. For many years I was not a tenure track faculty member and needed to go out and seek job offers before a tenure track position was found for me. I think women face this issue often, as the competition for faculty positions is very tough. In general though, working hard, and letting people know about my successes (and failures!) has helped to overcome any obstacles I might have faced. My advice is to find powerful and wonderful advocates/mentors and those can be men sometimes, as was true for me.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
The best part of the job is that every day is different and the highlight for any scientist is being the first to know something new about the way the brain works. I look forward to being with my students and discussing new data. I wish I could figure out how to slow the onslaught of emails and to-do lists!
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
Work/life balance is hugely important. Look for an environment where it is part of the culture. And sneak it in however possible. I love to walk and hike in the beautiful mountains of Utah to relieve stress. I do that with one of my mentors and dear friend as often as possible – so we can have a work meeting.
7. What do you define success as?
Success is very individualized. For me, it can be as simple as crossing off items on my to-do list! So I start small and take pleasure in the small successes on a day to day basis. But important for me was understanding that my job does not define me – I can be successful in a variety of occupations or endeavors.
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
One needs to be a team player and curious. And persistent! Like you!
9. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
I have had many mentors throughout my career – many were supervisors… Currently I have a mentor who is the dean and is my best friend –we bounce ideas off each other
10. What do you think is the best advice you've ever received ? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? What’s one piece of advice you can pass on to us?
Hmmm. Tough one. The best advice I ever received was that I would always make the right decisionJ. If you think and reflect and know what your core values are, you will!
I grew up in a small town in New Jersey and became interested in biology in general in high school, where I had a biology teacher who loved field work and would take us to the shore where we would collect samples for his fish tanks back at our school. I attended a small liberal arts college (Allegheny College, 1977-1981) where I majored in psychology but with an emphasis on neuroscience. We had to do a senior comprehensive project which allowed me to be in the lab, initiating my own project on epilepsy. After graduation, I worked as a scientist at the DuPont Co in their small but growing neuroscience group. In 1987, after my husband finished grad school, I went back for a PhD in the physiology dept at the University of Pennsylvania. My wonderful mentor was head of the Epilepsy Center and studied basic mechanisms of synaptic transmission. I continued my passion of using electrophysiology techniques to answer important questions regarding neuronal circuit behavior. I was also influenced to study the brain by a mentor I had in college and fueled by the fact that my grandfather died from Parkinson’s disease, and my grandmother and mother had/have a mild form of schizophrenia.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
I am the chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Utah. Also I have a basic science research lab. I write grants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund the work on epilepsy that we perform. My days are filled with meetings with other University leaders, with my students, with other faculty. My favorite days are spent going over data with my students. My day is never the same as I have many responsibilities. As a chair, I am excited about the opportunity to hire new faculty members for our department and helping the faculty in our department achieve their goals.
3. How does STEM relate to your job? How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
As a scientist, STEM is my job! The work I do know in neuroscience directly stemmed from my PhD work.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
I may have faced some discrimination. For many years I was not a tenure track faculty member and needed to go out and seek job offers before a tenure track position was found for me. I think women face this issue often, as the competition for faculty positions is very tough. In general though, working hard, and letting people know about my successes (and failures!) has helped to overcome any obstacles I might have faced. My advice is to find powerful and wonderful advocates/mentors and those can be men sometimes, as was true for me.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
The best part of the job is that every day is different and the highlight for any scientist is being the first to know something new about the way the brain works. I look forward to being with my students and discussing new data. I wish I could figure out how to slow the onslaught of emails and to-do lists!
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
Work/life balance is hugely important. Look for an environment where it is part of the culture. And sneak it in however possible. I love to walk and hike in the beautiful mountains of Utah to relieve stress. I do that with one of my mentors and dear friend as often as possible – so we can have a work meeting.
7. What do you define success as?
Success is very individualized. For me, it can be as simple as crossing off items on my to-do list! So I start small and take pleasure in the small successes on a day to day basis. But important for me was understanding that my job does not define me – I can be successful in a variety of occupations or endeavors.
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
One needs to be a team player and curious. And persistent! Like you!
9. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
I have had many mentors throughout my career – many were supervisors… Currently I have a mentor who is the dean and is my best friend –we bounce ideas off each other
10. What do you think is the best advice you've ever received ? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? What’s one piece of advice you can pass on to us?
Hmmm. Tough one. The best advice I ever received was that I would always make the right decisionJ. If you think and reflect and know what your core values are, you will!
