Our November MCDB Alumni Spotlight is highlighting Dr. Kelly Crowe! Dr. Crowe is an Associate Professor and Division Chair of Physiology and Pathology at Xavier University's College of Medicine. She graduated from MCDB in 2018.

We asked Dr. Crowe some questions about her experience as an MCDB student, as well as her career since graduating from the program.

• Please introduce yourself, including your current role, organization, and graduation year from the MCDB program.
  • Hi folks! My name is Kelly Crowe. I’m currently Associate Professor and Division Chair of Physiology and Pathology in Xavier University’s new College of Medicine in Cincinnati, OH. I graduated from MCDB in 2018 and spent 8 years teaching/running a research lab as a tenure-track faculty member in primarily undergraduate institutions (Mount St. Joseph University and Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH), and have more recently moved into medical education.
• What was your research focus while in the program, and who was your faculty advisor?
  • My graduate research was focused on gene therapy development for the rare neuromuscular disease GNE myopathy in the lab of Dr. Paul Martin at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
• Can you share a memorable experience, project, or achievement from your time in the program?
  • The early years of my graduate career were pretty challenging- while classes went well, I had a lot of failed experiments, unsuccessful grant submissions, and general angst about my progression and future career. Thankfully, there was a moment at which things started turning around, which began with winning first place in a poster presentation competition- the genuine shock of hearing my name called was really memorable. This was only so meaningful because I had been through YEARS with what felt like no “wins”- but in that moment, I was glad that I had stuck it out.
• What did your career path look like immediately after graduation?
  • I was hired ABD as a tenure-track assistant professor of biology at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH.
• What aspects of your MCDB training have been most valuable in your professional career?
  • I really appreciated the career seminars through MCDB and the Nationwide trainee association. I was never planning on going the R1 PI track but loved science and communication, and so it was exciting to explore careers in teaching, advertising, and medical writing. It definitely took some pressure off of me to know that “success” didn’t just look like one thing. Side note: if you’re interested in a career in undergraduate teaching (which can also include running a research lab if you’re tenure-track), please reach out to me at crowek7@xavier.edu- happy to chat with you about your career path!
• What do you wish you had known as a graduate student that would have made your experience even more successful?
  • I wish that I had the confidence to put myself out there earlier. It took a while for me to feel comfortable nominating myself for positions, applying for fellowships, and nominating myself for awards. Once I had a few failures under my belt and realized it wasn’t a big deal, it felt like a superpower to throw my hat in the ring for things I was interested in. I also wish I had known earlier about OSU’s Graduate Minors, Interdisciplinary Specializations, and Graduate Certificates- specifically, I would have been interested in the “College and University Teaching” graduate certificate- my first year as a faculty member would certainly have been smoother!
• What was your favorite place on Ohio State's campus?
  • As many of y’all know, it looks a bit different when you’re at NCH- my strongest memories of Ohio State’s campus were waiting for the shuttle bus! I will say, though, that I spent some good time at the Magic Bean Café- it was a great place to regroup when an experiment didn’t go my way.
• What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Any recent highlights?
  • My wife and I have been visiting national parks, and we’ve particularly enjoyed the desert parks like Big Bend and Saguaro. We also got to visit Chiricahua a few months before it was officially named a national park, so I got to feel like a trend-setter!

Thank you again to Dr. Crowe for her time and for participating in this series!