Austin Baker, MS., BS. graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2011 with a BS in Chemistry.

This interview is part of a series conducted by the department called, "UK Chemistry Alumni: Where Are They Now." This interview was coordinated by Prof. Arthur Cammers.

Arthur: Austin, we publish these student spotlights from time to time to give our current students examples that career paths in the molecular sciences can take. That’s your audience.

Austin: Thanks for the opportunity to do this, there’s a lot of unknown opportunities out there to make students aware of, so I’m happy to share my experience. It’s been over 10 years since I graduated undergrad, but still come back to Lexington a few times a year to visit family.

Arthur: Life tends to accelerate after school; there's usually a lot more to worry about. The juggler's hands move faster with more items in the air. Tell us about how life accelerated for you after your time at the University of Kentucky.

Austin: As I was nearing graduation I knew I wanted to continue my Chemistry education. So moving out on my own with my now wife was a scary prospect. But that allowed me to explore and grow as a person while pursuing the science I’d come to love.

Arthur: Describe any education or professional development you decided to pursue after your bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

Austin: I went to the University of Pittsburgh due to their strengths in Medicinal Chemistry and drug design, and is where I got my Masters of Science in Chemistry in 2014. After I graduated, I moved to Emory University as a Research Assistant and Lab Manager to support a new professor’s collaboration with the Emory Drug Discovery Institute.

Arthur: Were you initially inspired to pursue chemistry out of high school or did the decision take a bit of back and forth?

Austin: Out of high school? No way. My love of chemistry started with Organic Chemistry 1 with you. Something with the movement of electrons and reaction mechanisms just clicked. And you utilized real life medicine examples that fascinated me. I was hooked.

Arthur: Whoa, I never knew that. Thanks for the kudos. Do you have a strong memory from your undergraduate days that is safe to share, either a moment, or a class?

Austin: For sure that is from Dr. David Allan Butterfield, where as a senior, I took the graduate level Neuroscience class with him. His own research in Alzheimer’s disease piqued my interest, so I joined his lab as an undergrad and was able to contribute to two publications. His passion for the subject was contagious, he was funny and caring, and a great mentor.

Arthur: What is your current professional position? What led you to it?

Austin: My current job is called a Biosolutions Engagement Leader at Labcorp. I do relationship management for small pharmaceutical companies’ clinical drug trials. At Emory, I realized that bench work wasn’t suited to my strengths. But the rigor of research gives you tremendous skills that are often not realized, particularly project management. Chemistry in particular is so well suited for learning how to think critically, work around failures, and help create an unparalleled work ethic you don’t get with other sciences. I took a position in project management, helping to set up the testing specifications for clinical drug trials, and get to see the translation of novel drug development to testing those molecules in clinical testing.

Arthur: How much on the job training was required after school? Is periodic professional development required? Is this your responsibility? What do you do to stay current with the world of molecules?

Austin: Most of my job experience was learned in the roles I’ve had. But the foundation of classroom learning is still highly relevant and applicable to me today. I stay current with chemistry as I get to see new small molecules that target various disease states (I still look up their structures every time). In particular, I got to support the COVID-19 clinical trials, and Alzheimer’s Disease trials for which testing is being performed on the same exact phosphorylation sites I did research on many years ago with Dr. Butterfield. Truly a full circle moment I never expected back when I was an undergrad.

Arthur: Was beginning a career in Chemistry exactly what you expected it to be? If not, what were the surprises?

Austin: Looking back, yeah it gave me a foundation I may have expected. What surprises me the most is the non-obvious skills you learn from an extended pursuit in research, and just how relevant they can be, still, even when you’ve long been gone from the bench. An arduous and fun exciting journey I’d do over again.