The Pheno-Type: Michele Arena
Michele Arena currently serves as Director of Project Management at BioSymetrics, and has done so since joining in 2021. Read more in this interview about her journey and insights from clinical practice to project management!
“Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) then entered our world and we quickly transitioned into a space that propelled us forward at an astonishing pace. I knew I had to be a part of it.”
Tell us more about your journey leading up to BioSymetrics.
My early career was as a clinician in adult, neonatal, and pediatric care. I took on a parallel part time role in Information Technology (IT) as a Systems Administrator for an Electronic Health Record (EHR) product used in Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, and Rehabilitative Medicine. This would be a transition point in my career, as the vendor recruited me for a role in their company, setting up their Project Management Office (PMO) and managing client implementations for the Eastern half of the United States.
From there, I was promoted through positions – Project Director through VP Professional Services – in companies of various sizes, with the largest being one of the top EHR vendors, employing 10,000 people. In all cases, the contributions I made to their delivery best practices, revenue generation, and client advisement resulted in continued business growth and positive impacts to profits. All of these experiences were life changing.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) then entered our world and we quickly transitioned into a space that propelled us forward at an astonishing pace. I knew I had to be a part of it. That’s when I began searching for a company deeply committed to these tools and rich with an unwavering purpose to next-level medicine. BioSymetrics was that company, and in 2021, I joined them as their Project Lead.
At BioSymetrics, we use Project Management Institute (PMI) best practices for comprehensive project planning, effective communication strategies, risk management, and quality control processes.
At BioSymetrics, we manage change and are aware that organizational change is constant and driven by forces including partners, markets, and technology.
At BioSymetrics, because we live our values and are inherently passionate about our purpose, we are high performers, working at our natural best.
The journey has just begun.
Very interesting! How does your previous work as a clinician inform the work that you do today?
As a BioSymetrics Project Lead, I join forces with Data Scientists, Scientific Research Leaders, Portfolio Development Leaders, Solution Architects, and Partners to foster successful project management.
The critical clinical skill sets that I translate to project management at BioSymetrics are:
Communication: Clinicians are required to communicate clearly with patients and other caregivers. This translates to effective communication with stakeholders in project management.
Prioritization: The capability to prioritize urgent treatments translates to the sense of urgency managing tasks, allocating resources and addressing time-sensitive critical issues.
Flexibility: As a clinician, I encountered unexpected situations every day which required changing direction and quick decision making. This translates to flexible project management.
Risk Assessment: As a clinician, I assessed treatment and procedures risks daily. This translates to project risk assessments and subsequent mitigation planning.
Collaboration: Clinicians collaborate with many healthcare professionals. Cross-functional collaboration is a key component of successful projects.
Finally, working as a clinician provides an awareness of patients and their health conditions, which can contributed to identifying gaps in existing treatment and accelerate the development of innovative solutions. Overall, it has the potential to directly lead to advancements that benefits patients and their outcomes.
What excites you most about the role or potential of AI/ML in biomedicine?
As AI/ML advances in biomedicine, most exciting is having the power to integrate separate data sets for drug discovery, disease diagnosis, and treatment plans.
Now for something light-hearted! What's something interesting or unique about you that not many people might know about?
I’ve recently taken interest in starting plants from seeds for growing throughout the winter in sunny south exposure windows. I current have 16 tomato plants started outside, getting ready for indoor growing in October. I hope I have enough space!
Another fun practice I started this year is sharing plants and seeds with other gardeners, and they share theirs with me. It's a cost-free way to add to your garden.
By Simon Eng – October 25, 2024