Ashtyn Wiltbank (she/her) is a 6th year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program in the School of Medicine. Her PhD research focuses on identifying the genetic mechanisms that aid in nervous system development. Through her work, she has identified a gene, CD59, that collaborates with the immune system to ensure proper nerve growth by controlling the number of myelin-producing cells generated during development. In addition to her doctoral work, Ashtyn is currently an intern with the UVA Licensing & Ventures Group where she is learning about intellectual property management and commercialization. She also served as the President of the Graduate Consulting Club at UVA (August 2019 – March 2021), mentors undergraduate and graduate students, and promotes science literacy and enthusiasm for STEM careers through local classroom visits and field trips
Ashtyn is a graduate of PhD Plus Consulting Series.
Q. What are your post-PhD career aspirations?
I am interested in working in consulting, patent law, or scientific writing following completion of my PhD.
Q. What were the highlights of your experience in the PhD Plus Consulting series? What professional skills did you develop through this module? and How did participation in the PhD Plus Consulting series support your professional development and career planning?
This module helped build problem-solving and communication skills as well as how to network and prepare for case and behavioral interviews. We also learned how to analyze and present data with Excel and PowerPoint. Beyond consulting, the problem-solving and communication skills have been particularly useful for enhancing my experimental design and analysis as well as communicating my findings to a variety of audiences.
Q. How have the strategies and skills learned, and community developed through this core module assisted in your personal and professional development, as well as planning for diverse careers?
This class really helped with my networking and behavioral interview skills. On the first day of the module, Professor Brendan Boler had us practice cold-calling people. It was super nerve wracking, but I learned a lot about how to communicate effectively as well as how to sell my strengths and skills. Later in the module, we also practiced telling "our story" that would be typically communicated during a behavioral interview. These activities were really helpful in building confidence and skills so that I can better network and talk about myself effectively. My problem-solving skills improved as well. Working through many cases, we learned to identify important information more quickly and how to design effective strategies to approach those problems. Collectively, these skills have been helpful both in and outside of the lab and will continue to be helpful in my future career.
Q. What is your advice or recommendations to peers on how to best leverage PhD Plus program?
Go to as many of the PhD Plus events and workshops as you can! Even if you're sure you know what you want to do, you never know what might resonate with you. Moreover, you'll be able to learn new skills and network with your peers, alumni, and professionals.