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Dr. Meklit Workneh on Curiosity, Courage, and Career Pivots: An Immigrant Physician's Journey to Biopharma Leadership

What if the "wrong" career moves are actually the right ones? And what happens when a physician decides the traditional path isn't enough? For Dr. Meklit Workneh, the answer to these questions was a journey that took her from Ethiopia to Stanford, through public health fieldwork, FDA regulatory medicine, and ultimately to leading AI-integrated clinical trials at Moderna.

Her story proves that curiosity, courage, and strategic career pivots can transform not just your own trajectory—but also advance global health innovation. From arriving solo in California at 17 to becoming a triple board-certified physician pioneering the intersection of artificial intelligence and clinical development, Dr. Workneh's path offers practical insights for anyone ready to create their own career rather than follow someone else's blueprint.

The Intersectional Advantage

Dr. Workneh brings a unique perspective shaped by multiple intersections:

  • An Ethiopian immigrant who arrived in the US solo at 17 for college
  • Triple board-certified physician with expertise spanning clinical care, research, and pathology
  • Mother of young children balancing executive leadership with family life
  • First-generation professional navigating American corporate structures
  • Bridge-builder between medicine, technology, public health, and industry
  • Black woman in biotech leadership championing diversity in clinical trials

As she puts it: "I've always been that person where I'm going to find all the things I like doing and bring them all together and find a way to do it."

The Journey: From Ethiopia to Stanford to Biopharma

Early Life in East Africa: Born in Ethiopia during the communist era, experienced family relocation to Kenya during political upheaval, and returned to Ethiopia for high school education.

Bold Educational Move: At 17, made the independent decision to attend Stanford University, arriving solo in California—a culture shock that required significant adaptation and resilience.

Strategic Academic Path: Studied biology at Stanford, then pursued an MPH at Yale focused on public health, worked in field research in Ethiopia before medical school.

Medical Training Excellence: Earned MD from UCSF, completed internal medicine residency and infectious diseases/microbiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

Government Service: Joined the FDA's Division of Infectious Diseases, working on neglected tropical diseases, antibiotic resistance, and the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Industry Leadership:  Transitioned to Moderna as Senior Director of Clinical Development, pioneering AI integration in infectious disease clinical trials.

Essential Career Insights

Maintain Curiosity Above All: "I think it always helps to maintain a degree of curiosity, no matter what you do, and just keep learning. Keep exploring. You never know the opportunities that your curiosity will open up."

Think Holistically About Life Design: Consider how your career choices align with your personal goals, including family, lifestyle, and values. "I wanted to have children, to get married, all of those things were important to me….so thinking about how do I merge all of these things."

Create Your Own Specialization: Don't be limited by traditional career tracks. "I was always exploring all these interests…like Africa, public health, infectious disease... And I'm just gonna take a bunch of things and just merge them together."

Seek Information Through Relationships: "I just really try to keep an open mind. You know, went to things that were sort of outside my comfort zone and I talked to a lot of people... let me see what they're doing and sort of keep a very open mind."

Embrace the Non-Linear Path: "I didn't even know this was a career path when I started out... it wasn't necessarily a well-crafted plan to end up exactly where I am now. But, you know, I'm very happy with where I am now."

About Our Guest

Dr. Meklit Workneh is a Senior Director of Clinical Development in Infectious Diseases at Moderna Therapeutics, where she leads teams designing clinical trials and developing strategies that bring life-saving vaccines and therapeutics to patients worldwide. She is triple board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and pathology (microbiology) with over 15 years of experience bridging clinical medicine and research.

Her groundbreaking work at the intersection of AI and clinical development recently gained national recognition through Moderna's partnership with OpenAI, showcasing how intelligent technology can accelerate the path from discovery to treatment. Before joining industry, she served at the FDA's Division of Infectious Diseases, working on neglected tropical diseases, antibiotic resistance, and COVID-19 initiatives.

Dr. Workneh holds a BA from Stanford University, an MPH from Yale School of Public Health, and an MD from University of California, San Francisco. She completed her residency in internal medicine and fellowship training in infectious diseases and microbiology at Johns Hopkins.

 

Connect with Guest Dr. Meklit Workneh

LinkedIn: Dr. Meklit Workneh
Expertise: Clinical Trial Design, AI in Healthcare, Biotech Leadership, Infectious Disease Medicine

Collaboration Interest: Advancing diversity in clinical trials and global health innovation

About the Host

Dr. Lola Adeyemo is the CEO of EQI Mindset and founder of the nonprofit Immigrants Incorporate Inc. She works with organizations to build inclusive workplaces and amplifies the voices of leaders and immigrants in the corporate space.

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This episode of Thriving in Intersectionality is perfect for anyone who's ever felt like they don't fit into traditional career boxes - because sometimes the most extraordinary paths are the ones you create yourself.