Alumni Profile: Dr. Neha Chitre (PhD '21)

What is your current position?

I work as a Study Director within the Preclinical Safety Assessment domain at Charles River Laboratories in Ashland, Ohio.

My PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (with a research focus on Neuropharmacology and Neurotoxicology) helped me better understand the entire drug development process from bench to patient bedside. It equipped me with several translational skills such as efficient communication and collaboration, persistence problem-solving, and critical thinking. My entire PhD journey contributed to my overall development as an individual and was very helpful in preparing me for my current role.

What inspired you to pursue a career in pharmaceutical sciences?

From a very young age, I was intrigued with how the human body worked, especially the brain. Also having witnessed close family members suffer from debilitating brain disorders with no therapeutic cures served as a big motivating factor in my decision to pursue my education in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

What is your most cherished memory at Mercer University?

It was definitely the 2019 MUSCA Christmas party and the lab door decorating competitions every Christmas!

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I enjoy reading non-fiction books, engaging in creative arts and crafts, listening to music and getting some movement each day.

What does a day in your life as an industry professional look like?

Super busy, and filled with lots of emails, teams notifications and constant interruptions ha!

Looking back, what is the biggest change you see in yourself before and after your PhD?

The PhD journey has many ups and downs. Encountering several failed experiences before that one successful experiment attempt certainly taught me to be more patient, creative and to keep working on finding multiple solutions to the problem at hand. I learnt to believe that things eventually work out and make sense, even if it seems highly unlikely at the time.

Thank you to the Mercer University student chapter of AAPS- MUSCA Pharmabeat Magazine for this interview!