Lissa Gray

Tell us a bit about your career so far.

For almost 20 years, I worked as a Nurse Practitioner on the front lines of patient care. Most recently, I worked at an academic institution as a clinical research nurse practitioner. In this role, I cared directly for Multiple Myeloma patients enrolled in clinical trials for therapies like CAR-T cells, antibody drug conjugates, and anti-cancer vaccines.

What was it like working with these patients?

Working with Multiple Myeloma patients is truly humbling. I was constantly in awe of their perseverance and strength. I was also impressed by how well researched many of these patients were about their disease, treatment options, and novel therapies. They ask informed, thoughtful questions of their care team. They always kept me on my toes!

What was your philosophy regarding patient care?

Every time a new patient began their treatment journey I was filled with hope. Whenever I gave a drug as part of a clinical trial, I always hoped the patient would be in the responder group and it would have a meaningful impact on their lives.

Why did you decide to take on a role at a biopharmaceutical company?

When I was at the medical center I interacted with people from industry very regularly. I realized that we share the same vision – bringing forward new therapies to help patients in need and hopefully giving them more quality time with their loved ones.

What do you do at Oncopeptides?

I am an Oncology Nurse Educator. I’m currently learning all of the data on our investigational drug candidate, so upon its anticipated approval, I’ll be able to get into the field and educate health care providers. Our focus is to support health care providers, primarily nurses and advanced practice providers, for the safe utilization of our drug candidate which includes education on preparation, administration, and side effect management.

Why did you choose Oncopeptides?

To be honest, I considered opportunities at many different pharmaceutical companies. However, as soon as I started the interview process with Oncopeptides it was clear it was the right place for me. I was struck by the passion and energy that the medical affairs team brought to their work. They keep patients at the heart of everything they do. Now that I’m part of the Company, I see that is ingrained in the culture here.