Throughout her career, Courtney Tate has often had to deal with being the “only” in the room, but that has never stopped her. She is a proven healthcare leader with more than 20 years experience in the diagnostic laboratory industry. Following completion of the Masters in Genetic Counseling Program at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Courtney initially accepted a clinical based genetic counseling position but quickly stepped out of the traditional 'box', and took a new role in sales with Myriad Genetics, becoming one of the first genetic counselors to work in an industry setting. Later, Courtney continued to expand the box, pursuing an MBA from the Executive MBA program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Courtney's functional roles have included Sales, Medical Affairs/Clinical Specialist, Marketing and Managed Care/Payor Access. For those who may be familiar with the series, "Scandal", Courtney is often thought of as the "Olivia Pope" within organizations because of her ability to assess a situation, understand the contributing factors, work cross-functionally to develop solutions, and execute and produce results.

In this interview, we dive into how this Diagnostic Guru made the jump from Clinical Genetic Counseling to Sales to Marketing, the “good and bad” of her experiences in leadership roles, and what advice she has for the next generation of women in science. Courtney leaves us with her superpower, a unique skill that is a lot harder than it sounds.

In our inaugural episode, we are joined today by Dorottya Nagy-Szakal, MD, PhD, the Chief Medical Officer at Biotia. In her current role, she is responsible for implementing novel genomic-based technologies, providing clinical implementation of microbiome and virome data, and engaging healthcare leaders using novel sequencing-based and AI-driven technology in infectious disease diagnostics. During the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts, she drove strategy and communication with the FDA, CDC, NYS DOH, and NYC Health and Hospitals and currently works to support the adaptation of novel diagnostic tools for global pandemic preparedness. Dr. Nagy-Szakal is the President of the New York Hungarian Scientific Society and passionate about mentoring women and minorities in the scientific field and startup world.

On the show today, we talk with Dr. Nagy-Szakal, “Dora”, about what it’s like to lead a team during a crisis like COVID-19, how her work has impacted public health, and how she personally has struggled both as an immigrant and a woman in a field dominated by men. Dora emphasizes the importance of teamwork, emotional intelligence, and what she sees as her super power. Listen in now!