Former Graduate Student Spotlight-Dr. Gwen Davis

I am a native of Jackson, MS. From a young age, I was always interested in science and a career in the medical field. However, when it was time to apply to college, I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. Biomedical engineering provided an avenue to keep my options open. As a freshman engineering student, I remember Dr. Robert Hester visiting our class to discuss physiological modeling. Throughout undergrad, I was fortunate to connect with individuals with careers in the medical technology and pharmaceutical industries, which is where my interest in industry started. One of my favorite classes in undergrad was Physiological Mechanisms in Biomedical Engineering and thus I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Physiology. I like understanding why things happen. With physiology, I could understand how the human body normally functions and the why behind abnormal processes that lead to injury and disease. Ultimately, physiology would be a great complement to my biomedical engineering degree.

 I started graduate school in 2014 and joined Dr. Barbara Alexander’s lab my second year. We were constantly challenged by our professors to excel in coursework and in the laboratory. I appreciated being in a department that was once led by Dr. Arthur Guyton himself and fortunate to learn from those he taught. In addition to the rich department history, I also appreciated the camaraderie of my fellow graduate students. Whether it was trying to understand a physiological concept or volunteering during Phun Week at the Mississippi’s Children Museum, I knew I could always count on my fellow grad students. During my last two years of graduate school, I expressed an interest in industry. With tremendous support from Dr. Alexander and connections made by Dr. Hester I landed an internship with Medtronic during the summer of 2018. Dr. Alexander was supportive and allowed me to take time away from the lab to go to Minneapolis for the summer. I had a great experience that summer!

After UMMC, I went to Vanderbilt for a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology. Currently, I am a senior scientist at Medtronic in Minneapolis, MN. Who knew things would come full circle! Here, I can combine my love for physiology and interest in medical technology.

In my current position, I am a part of a modeling and simulation team and collaborate with business units on various research projects. I’m interested in how advancements in technology will improve our understanding of medicine and how that will impact early detection and management of disease.

Outside of work I enjoy coming home to spend time with my family, running, and I've recently taken up tennis!