Trained as a molecular oncologist with a focus on genetic susceptibility to cancer, I discovered during my PhD training that my passions were not at the laboratory bench. Yet, my experience in collaboratively pursuing of the localization of and characterizing the human BRCA1 gene, set the stage for my future. It was true then, and I believe it is even more true today, we can accomplish more together than any one of us can accomplish alone.
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I spent two years as an independent researcher before heading to the National Cancer Institute to support a newly formed organization that brought basic scientists together with clinical researchers into a single organization. The goal of this novel merger was to facilitate translational research. It was there that my interest in what was contributing to successful team functioning was sparked. What led teams to flourish or fail? What were they doing differently? How could those secrets be shared?
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Over the course of my journey, two experiences further fueled my interest in helping people – especially researcher and those working in research organizations – attain their personal and professional goals. The first was becoming a Certified Executive Coach and the second was understand the essential role mindset plays in both our relationships and the work we do together.
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These are the major milestones that have brought me to where I am today and may provide some insight into my interest in helping others achieve their goals.
Kalamazoo College, BA in Biology and French
Upjohn Company, Research Assistant
French Governmental Internship, Lyon France
University of Wisconsin - Madison, PhD in Oncology
National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Postdoctoral Fellow
2000-2002 | Independent Investigator, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
2002 - 2010 | Deputy Director, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute
2008 | Certified Executive Coach, Hudson Institute of Coaching, Santa Barbara
2010 - 2015 | Deputy Scientific Director, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NIH
2015 - 2021 | Director, Center for Research Strategy, National Cancer Institute
2020 - 2021 | Chief Innovation Officer, Acting, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH
2022-2024 | Sr. Vice President, Roger Schwarz and Associates, Chapel Hill, NC
2021-Present | Owner and Chief Executive Officer, L.M. Bennett Consulting, Potomac MD
Alexandra Torres
Associate
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Dr. Alexandra Torres is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Alexandra Torres Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to helping researchers and organizations build effective teams. Alex was trained in oncology at the interface of infectious disease and cancer. Throughout her experiences in the human health sector, both in private industry and in the federal government, Alex has been drawn to roles that provided rich opportunities for collaboration and for building partnerships across teams, departments and organizations. At the National Institutes of Health, Alex was part of a team that engaged in identifying strategic research priorities, fostering creativity and innovation, enhancing collaboration by breaking down silos and re-establishing trust between teams, refining its organizational values, and building stronger partnerships with other government agencies. These efforts enhanced the impact of the critical environmental health research being done at the federal level. More recently, Alex played a role in consulting and training individuals and teams in organizations to help them learn fundamental principles in leadership and collaboration and develop their skills in effective communication and conflict management. These efforts helped clients shift their culture and achieve greater success.
