Ep. 127: Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop
DR. Kilan Ashad Bishop.jpg
DR. Kilan Ashad Bishop.jpg
Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop
Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, The University of Miami
Everyone wants to wake up in the morning with a strong sense of purpose, but carving out a career path that matches both your skillset and your area of interest can be incredibly challenging. Today’s guest, Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop, is a biomedical scientist who received her Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Miami. In this episode, we speak about the power of growing up with female family figures with doctoral degrees, and Dr. Bishop gives us an in-depth overview of her doctoral and post-doctoral research and the work she does at two non-profit organizations: STEMNoire and First Star Academies. We touch on the importance of family support, the power of purpose in creating intentionality, and why cancer research was well-suited to Dr. Bishop’s areas of interest, as well as how she came to realize this. We discuss the role of the academic institution you choose in developing your sense of self, Dr. Bishop reveals the details of her funding structure, and we explore the difference between being committed to understanding who you are working with and simply fulfilling your commitment to training underrepresented populations. Dr. Bishop gives us the details of her research into structural barriers to optimal health among communities of color and her work that uses science as a tool for social change in marginalized communities. Finally, she leaves women pursuing postgraduate studies with some beautiful advice: embrace all that you are, even when the institution seems to be requiring something different of you. We hope you join us for a glimpse into Dr. Bishop’s inspiring mind today!
Connect with Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop on Kilan C. Ashad-Bishop, Ph.D. , LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
Key Points From This Episode:
An introduction to our guest, Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop.
The role of the women in Dr. Bishop’s family in nurturing her natural abilities in science.
How family support enabled Dr. Bishop to follow her passion.
The postdoctoral work that Dr. Bishop is currently doing.
First Star Academies and the college access program Dr. Bishop is a part of.
What Dr. Bishop is learning about programming that incorporates the interest and voice of young people in a way that speaks to their experiences.
The journey of deciding to pursue doctoral studies.
How a Ph.D. is a barrier to entry in STEM.
The power of purpose in creating intentionality.
How the MARC program gave Dr. Bishop valuable feedback and insight.
The influence on your choice of institution on your development of a sense of self.
Dr. Bishop’s dissertation researching a gene that affects the development of cancer.
The role of mentorship during Dr. Bishop’s program.
The funding structure that enabled Dr. Bishop’s studies.
The importance of matching up with the right PI to secure funding.
Being committed to understanding who you are working with versus fulfilling your commitment to training underrepresented populations.
Dr. Bishop’s research into structural barriers to optimal health among people of color; science as a tool for social change in marginalized communities.
How her work to empower the youth of color differs at STEMNoire and First Star.
Dr. Bishop’s final advice to women pursuing post-doctoral studies: embrace all that you are
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The Cohort Sistas Podcast brings to life the stories, struggles, and successes of Black women with doctoral degrees and their lives beyond the degree. If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community, sign up to do so here, and if you are looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our partnerships page. Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow The Cohort Sistas Podcast, rate the show, and leave us a quick review.
