As time goes on, it becomes near certain that a major health issue will arise for every one of us\u2014or someone we care deeply about. The challenges that come with them can play a formative role in our lives, and influence the career paths we take.<\/p>\n
At Illumina, most of our products are intended for research use (a few are approved for clinical diagnostics)\u2014but research often leads to discoveries that will help patients down the line. In our Share Your Why video series, our colleagues get candid about what, or who, inspires them to dedicate their days to shaping the future of genomics. Watch the video below to hear what they had to say, and read on to learn more.<\/p>\n
Ciara Allen, Associate Technical Project Manager<\/strong><\/p>\n On Christmas Eve of Ciara Allen\u2019s high school sophomore year, her father had a heart attack at work and was airlifted from Maui to O\u2018ahu for emergency triple bypass surgery. Then, in her senior year, her mother underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment for lung cancer. Ultimately, her mother\u2019s entire left lung had to be removed.<\/p>\n Allen spent many sleepless nights wondering where to go to college. She\u2019d planned for the University of San Diego\u2014but could she afford to be that far away from her parents in Hawai\u2018i? \u201cDespite the time difference,\u201d she says, \u201cdespite the many miles between us, it was really important for my parents that I go.\u201d She studied business economics, and became the first person in her family to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n They eventually learned that her father lacks the gene that breaks down LDL cholesterol, which means that Allen is also predisposed to the same condition. She has regularly checked her cholesterol ever since, and she\u2019s become a vocal proponent of genetic testing, which can help other families learn what risk factors to watch out for.<\/p>\n Then, when she saw a job posting at Illumina, she remembered how difficult her mother\u2019s cancer treatments were and asked herself, \u201cIs there something better we can do? Something less invasive, more targeted, that makes treatment easier on the patient, on the families? And that goes hand in hand with Illumina\u2019s mission.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen is now a part of Illumina Laboratory Services, but she spoke about the role she held on the Site Services team, where she oversaw all the employee amenities at Illumina\u2019s San Diego headquarters. \u201cI feel so happy to be where I am today,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m not the person in the lab doing the experiments, but I am the person supporting that person\u2014who\u2019s then supporting patients and their families. We\u2019re making a difference in the world for today, for tomorrow, for the next generation of children.\u201d<\/p>\n Issa Moody, Manager of Product Marketing<\/strong><\/p>\n Issa Moody has enjoyed learning about science ever since elementary school, but one factor he singles out that pushed him toward biomedical research is his late brother, who had bipolar disorder. He saw firsthand the heavy impact that disease can have on a person\u2019s family and their quality of life.<\/p>\n Moody earned a master\u2019s in business administration from the University of California (UC) San Diego, as well as a PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry from UC Irvine. He kept his brother\u2019s memory close to his heart, and when the opportunity arose to join Illumina, he knew it could be a way for him to help patients like him, even indirectly. Equipped with pharmacogenomic data, Moody says, clinicians can make better predictions about which drugs would help a particular patient: \u201cI feel like there\u2019s always the \u2018What if?\u2019 What if he was prescribed the right medication? Maybe he\u2019d still be with us. Knowing that we\u2019re working to make that a reality for everybody is certainly rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n He sees his current position in marketing as simply a different way of making a difference: The activities and collateral he\u2019s involved in can reach as many lives as lab work can, by promoting awareness and helping educate researchers about cutting-edge genomic technology that could help power new discoveries. He explains that the most inspiring part of his job is every time he gets to work on something that shows how Illumina\u2019s technology actually benefits a patient\u2014through pharmacogenomics or carrier screening, for instance. \u201cIdeally, we all want a job where you feel like you\u2019re making a difference, and at Illumina, all our technology is designed to improve human health in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n Miles Rogers, Manufacturing Equipment Engineer<\/strong><\/p>\n As a child, Miles Rogers lost his grandfather to Alzheimer disease\u2014and his aunt, just a few years later. \u201cI had to see her forget who I was,\u201d he says. \u201cIt really digs a hole in you. I don\u2019t think anybody deserves to feel that kind of pain, ever.\u201d<\/p>\n He studied neuroscience at the University of San Diego, and when he graduated, he applied for a job at Illumina\u2026and didn\u2019t get it. But his parents didn\u2019t raise a quitter. They pushed him to be the best he can be, and he thanks them every day for it: \u201cYou can get the straight As, but if you\u2019re passionate, if you have perseverance, you will get much farther in life. And so far, those character traits my parents taught me have gotten me here.\u201d<\/p>\n So, he kept at it. It took several tries, but he finally landed a job. Why focus on Illumina? He says it wasn\u2019t just the employee basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts\u2014though he adds that those are great perks, considering that he played collegiate sports, just like his grandfather\u2014it was the knowledge that Illumina scientists are working on things that have never been seen before, unparalleled and on the cutting edge. \u201cThere\u2019s always joy in the discovery, and in the endless possibilities. I wanted to work here, specifically. I believed in the mission statement.\u201d<\/p>\n Rogers recently moved from quality control to join the R&D organization as an assay development scientist, which he says he\u2019s \u201cabsolutely elated\u201d about. Now he works with researchers to develop workflows for Illumina customers. And while it may not directly support Alzheimer research, \u201cthe idea that I\u2019m impacting human health through any means is what drives my passion. I know what loss feels like. You feel helpless; there\u2019s nothing you can do but feel that loss. And I don\u2019t want to feel helpless anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n