Alumni Spotlight: Lydia Keys-Yarbrough, Master’s in Drug Development Graduate

UC Drug Development Grad at Global CRO

Lydia Keys-Yarbrough is a Clinical Research Associate Manager at Medpace, a global, full-service clinical contract research organization (CRO) based in Cincinnati with 3,400 employees where she leads training, management, and development of a team of Clinical Research Associates.

UC Online recently talked with Lydia about her career and experience at the University of Cincinnati and the Drug Development Program. She provided her perspective on why she chose the MSDD program and how it helped her gain a clearer vision of the drug development process from pre-clinical to post-marketing.

Q: What motivated you to seek your MS? 

I had recently started working in the pharmaceutical industry, and I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the drug development process and how my work contributed to bringing a drug to market.

Q: Why did you select the Drug Development program?

I chose the Drug Development program because the curriculum covers not only the scientific aspects of drug development but also the practical and logistical aspects of bringing a drug to market.

Q: How did you handle the school, work, life balance while in the program? 

While in the program, I was working and traveling full-time, in the process of purchasing a house, and planning a wedding!  Remaining organized and planning was key to successfully managing all of my time commitments during that time. Since the Drug Development courses were scheduled for the same time and day each week from quarter to quarter, it was easy to plan my schedule around the coursework.

Q: How has your degree helped you in your career? 

The MSDD degree gave me a clearer vision of drug development from the pre-clinical phase to post-marketing surveillance.  I was able to better understand the significance of my career and how my work was directly impacting clinical research.

Q: Who is the MSDD program a good fit for? 

The MSDD program is an excellent fit for full-time working professionals interested in broadening their knowledge of drug development and clinical research.

Q: Do you have any advice for future students looking into the MSDD program? 

Completing a master’s program while balancing other commitments (work, family, etc.) is completely possible!  Make the commitment to yourself to devise a plan to stay organized and on top of your work, and you will be successful.

Learn More About the Drug Development Programs with UC Online

The Pharmaceutics and Drug Development program from the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy is truly flexible and fully online. Accelerate your career while gaining a clearer vision of drug development for all phases of research from regulatory, pre-clinical to clinical, and beyond with a program built for busy working professionals in the field.

Learn More about the Drug Development program with UC Online