Franziska Moeckel, BS Marketing ’07, came to the United States as an international student from Germany, searching for a university that would be the perfect fit for her.
While she was accepted to several schools, Moeckel says Mason was her top choice because it allowed her to be part of a community. “What drew me was the Mason spirit—the accessibility to top-notch business school professors with industry experience, the growing impact of its students on the regional economy, and its diversity,” she says.
Moeckel has always been creative, strategic, and logical in her thinking, with a strong interest in business. She decided to major in marketing to “combine left and right brain, creative and strategic/logical thinking.” These specific skill sets make her uniquely qualified for her current job. Although she didn’t expect to end up in such a scientific and technical role, she now knows that “healthcare is my destiny.”
As the assistant vice president of Personalized Health at Inova Health System, Moeckel is the co-creator of MediMap®, Inova’s innovative pharmacogenomic testing program. She oversees the strategy development for genomic test integrations and is determining how to bridge current gaps and create a healthcare system of the future.
The testing program combines pharmacology (the study of medications) and genomics (the study of people’s genes) to help determine how people respond differently to medications based on their DNA. The goal of MediMap is simple—to help people live longer, healthier lives. “I see this as being part of every individual’s medical record in the not too distant future. It helps clinicians and individuals alike and allows people to have this information at their fingertips, to use when it’s most impactful.”
Moeckel is grateful for the career path she’s taken, having the opportunity to help serve her community and make the world a better place. “That’s really what’s at the core of why I love what I do and it drives me every day.”
Recently she was recognized as an Alumni Exemplar at the Mason Alumni Association’s Golden Anniversary Celebration. “I hold Mason near and dear to my heart. That’s where I made lasting connections and friendships. It’s where I was constantly challenged to push the boundaries and where I learned a lot about my abilities.”
—Katherine Johnson Dias
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