Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ USA
"I’m so proud to be a nerd."
Career Roadmap
Melissa's work combines: Science, Medicine, and Teaching / Mentoring
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
While going through this scientific trajectory, I'd constantly educate my family about what I was doing—especially as I am the first in my family to go to college. Doctoral and post-doctoral work is basically a job, yet people will ask when you're going to get a real job. Just have patience with them and trust that you're working towards something. Eventually, you'll get to be the first person in your family with a Ph.D. and you'll get to educate and inspire other young people to earn theirs.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biology and Chemistry
Colorado Mesa University
Doctorate
Biomedical Sciences/Experimental Pathology
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I always knew I wanted to go into biology—I grew up loving reading, playing in the dirt, catching lizards, and dissecting things.
2.
After earning my bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, I went to the University of Texas Medical Branch for graduate school, initially thinking I wanted to study BSL-3 pathogens.
3.
As I rotated through labs, I realized that I wanted to study the immune response to emerging pathogens, which wasn’t possible with viruses that kill a person that quickly—I knew I needed to shift.
4.
I landed in a women’s health lab, which was a great fit for me because I was able to study the immune response to a virus over a few years while pursuing my Ph.D.
5.
I earned my Ph.D. and went on to do postdoctoral research in the Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.
6.
I became an assistant research professor at Arizona State University, where I stayed for a few years before joining the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix as an assistant professor.
7.
I now work as an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, where I teach basic medical sciences, obstetrics, and gynecology.
8.
Additionally, I’m the director of the Women’s Health Microbiome Initiative.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
When are you going to finish school and get a real job?
How I responded:
While going through this scientific trajectory, I'd constantly educate my family about what I was doing—especially as I am the first in my family to go to college. Doctoral and post-doctoral work is basically a job, yet people will ask when you're going to get a real job. Just have patience with them and trust that you're working towards something. Eventually, you'll get to be the first person in your family with a Ph.D. and you'll get to educate and inspire other young people to earn theirs.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I am the first in my family to go to college. Not having a support system of others who have been there and done that in my family was difficult. I sought support from mentors outside my family to help me navigate this space.