Hi Mallory, hope you're ok. Can you paint a portrait for us of yourself and your role?

Hi, I’m Mallory Gough, a Senior Scientific Communications Manager at SOPHiA GENETICS. I did my Biology BSc and PhD at Lancaster University, and Lancaster has held a special place in my heart ever since. Following my PhD, I worked for many years in the medcomms world, communicating the results of clinical trials for the pharmaceutical industry.

Just over three years ago, I joined the marketing team at SOPHiA GENETICS where I’m involved in a diverse range of scientific communication activities such as writing blogs on our website, creating slides for the sales team and developing content for genetics conferences.

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking and spending time outdoors, aerial hoop and silks, books and delicious food.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

There is no typical day! But it will always involve re-prioritising my to-do list and ticking off as much as I can.

Today, for example, I started with a team meeting (online) while drinking a coffee in the HIVE Cafe. I then checked some booth panel designs I had briefed to our designer, finalised some slides for my colleague to present during an innovation summit, created a brief and spoke with an esteemed speaker who will present for us in June, met with the regulatory team about updating a flyer and finished developing some new slides for the sales team.

What motivates you to do what you do?

I have always found science fascinating, and every day I get to learn something new about biology or technology while interacting with lots of intelligent and interesting people. I also get great satisfaction from assimilating complex scientific information and disparate pieces of knowledge into coherent, concise and understandable formats.

Ultimately, I take pride in helping SOPHiA GENETICS to provide answers and improve the lives of people with cancer and rare diseases.

What is/has been your favourite aspect of being part of the collaborative community through the Health Innovation Campus?

As a remote worker (our office is in Switzerland), I really appreciate the opportunity to interact with the other co-workers and staff at the Health Innovation Campus, particularly as everyone has a shared interest in health and medicine. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming - and we often have lunch together.

The building is very light and airy, so I enjoy looking out over the green campus. Most of all, I’m really happy to be part of the Lancaster University community again.

What future projects and collaborations are you excited about?

I look forward to many more coffees, lunches, brainstorms and wanders in nature - and hope to attend more Collaboration Cafe events. They are always inspiring and provide interesting insights into current trends in local and global healthcare.