Shailee Patel takes a personal interest in the work she does. It shows in the way she carries out her duties in the lab, where, as an assay scientist, she tests the effectiveness of medicines in human-derived cells. CSL, a global biotech, specializes in rare and serious conditions as well as influenza prevention.
“My passion is patient care or care for people,” said Patel, who works in Australia. “I wake up really excited knowing that. OK, today I'm going to do something that's going to eventually benefit people or patients out there.”
That same positive energy shines through in the way she has chosen to celebrate traditions from India, where she grew up. Instead of feeling sad that she was not in India with family for Diwali, the annual festival of lights, Patel decided to make her own feast and introduced her friends to the celebration.
Cooking for people and sharing cultural traditions - “That is something I absolutely love to do,” she said.
Learn more about Shailee in the video above.
We interviewed her as part of our Everyday Trailblazers series, a chance to celebrate CSL scientists and learn more about their unique talents and abilities outside of work. Today’s scientists are pioneers who are willing to take risks and forge a path where none currently exits. Trailblazers are innovative thinkers who challenge the status quo, opening new frontiers for others to follow. They’re also everyday people – parents, partners and friends with eclectic personal interests and passions that contribute to the creative spark needed to drive new and better medical solutions.
In that spirit, CSL launched this campaign to spotlight eight of its scientists based in Australia, where the global biotech was born more than 100 years ago. The campaign – which will take various forms, including billboards – features Shailee and other trailblazers like Dave Leong, a scientist who has chosen hobbies that get his adrenaline pumping.
