From PhD to Research Scientist

Beyond the PhD is excited to welcome Dr. Kirby Madden-Hennessey, a Research Scientist with Enrich Biosystems. Kirby received a Bachelor’s in Science in Biochemistry from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2015 and earned her PhD in Biomedical Science from UConn Health in 2022. The focus of her PhD was in the area of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) where she studied Lynch Syndrome, a hereditary form of colon cancer, in the laboratory of Dr. Chris Heinen. During her time at UConn, Kirby was also involved with several organizations including the Graduate Student Organization (GSO), where she served as the Representative for MBB, and the Young Explorers in Science (YES), a group focused on scientific outreach to the local community. In addition to being active at UConn Health, Kirby was a volunteer with Dimensions Sciences, a nonprofit organization, from March 2020-September 2022 as a Business Development Intern. She also served as a volunteer with the Million Women Mentors CT Chapter on several events. Upon graduating from UConn, she accepted a position as a Research Scientist with Enrich Biosystems, a small startup company based out of Branford, CT. Currently, she is a lead on several projects there and takes part in some field application scientist responsibilities. In her spare time, she coaches girls basketball from the middle school-high school levels.