Loss inspired her leadership in medicine.
As a young child, Zhala Tawfiq lived in many regions of Iraq, including Kurdistan. She and her family moved to Syria when she was seven. She came to San Diego in the fifth grade without knowing any English. Today Zhala is enjoying life as a 25-year-old in Los Angeles, and she is eager to serve as a mentor for other girls and young women.
What nurtured your interest in a STEM educational path and career?
My mom lost two sisters to breast cancer and her dad died of prostate cancer. That affected me greatly and I knew early on that I wanted to do something where I could make an impact on patients, particularly in cancer. My father was a civil engineer, so I’m sure that advanced my interest in STEM fields as well. I was good at math and I thought I’d be good at engineering, so that’s where I headed.
What degrees did you earn after high school?
I have a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering with an emphasis on biotechnology from the University of California – San Diego.
Can you briefly describe your career path?
I did internships while still in college, including in an engineering group at a Veterans Affairs hospital, an allergy and immunology research institute, and at a corporate lab. After college, I joined Agensys—the Astellas research affiliate in Santa Monica.
Currently, I work on processes to link cancer drugs to antibodies to produce highly targeted and less toxic chemotherapies. I’m involved in lots of experiments to determine the most efficient ways to manufacture medicines that will eventually go into cancer patients, and thus require the highest purity.
What is the best part of your job?
Knowing the significant impact that my work has on the future of medicine, on patients, and on overall human health—that “big picture” is not lost on me.
What advice can you offer to girls and young women who might be interested in a STEM career?
Follow your heart and enter a career that will make a difference in the world. Anything is possible with a STEM career, and the opportunities will be endless.
What do you know now that you wished you knew as a teenager?
I now recognize the importance of having strong leadership qualities and taking ownership for the work I do. I go into my work with a lot of pride and it helps me to stay very focused.