Softball 5/26/2015 11:12:00 AM

SOFTBALL ALUMNA DONITA BRADY MAKING A DIFFERENCE

RADFORD, Va. ---- Donita Brady, Ph. D., wasn't on campus when the university rebranded, but the seventh Presidential Professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the Perelman School of Medicine will tell you that the 'Reason is Radford.'

Brady's new appointment has her contributing to Cancer Biology research in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine. As a member of the Highlanders' softball program from 2000-03, she found her passion for the sciences and health while an undergraduate at Radford. In her time donning the Red and White, Brady excelled as a chemistry major. After graduating, the 2003 Big South All-Academic Team member began her life long journey of learning and educating.

"I always imagined that I would continue my education, whether that was continuing to a Ph.D. in Chemistry or Pharmacy," Brady explained. "I was never certain that either of those paths would be the right choice for me. My advisors in the Department of Chemistry at Radford, knowing my interest in Biology, suggested a summer undergraduate experience program."

From the guidance of her advisors, Brady found her calling in pharmaceuticals.

"I was fortunate to get the opportunity to explore basic biomedical research in a lab within the Department of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill," said Brady. "This early glimpse of both the discipline of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology shaped my decision to go to graduate school and get a Ph.D. in Pharmacology."

Brady's groundbreaking research studies the links between cancer and copper, with enormous potential for the development of future cancer treatments. She and a team of Duke University researchers discovered that reducing the body's supply of copper also blocks the growth of certain kinds of cancers, specifically, cancers with a mutation in the BRAF gene that require copper for the growth of cells and tumors.

With a trio of degrees in hand and leading her own laboratory at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, Brady still looks back at her time as a Highlander softball player as a building block to her success.

"The biggest life skill I learned from being a Radford softball player is the ability to manage my time efficiently, as the early morning workouts, rigorous laboratory and class schedule as a chemistry major, afternoon practices, and constant travel for games and tournaments left very little time for either studying or being a typical undergraduate student," Brady remarked. "Thus I spent a lot of my limited free time in McConnnell Library with my fellow chemistry majors going over problem sets and lab results, while trying to find a moment here or there to spend time with the teammates I enjoyed."

Learning to juggle her schedule and prioritize time though wasn't the greatest lesson Brady learned from her time as a Division I student-athlete.

"The biggest life lesson I learned as a Radford softball player was the importance of being persistent," explained Brady. "We by no means won all of our games, and the drive necessary to continue to compete when things weren't going well continues to help me get through difficult stretches in the laboratory."

The 2002 Big South All-Tournament Team member has been fortunate enough to make it back to the New River Valley on several occasions since her graduation date. Although those opportunities have decreased over the years as her studies in the laboratory have grown, Brady enjoys every chance she has to be a part of the campus still.

"One of my last trips was during the University sponsored Alumni Day in which I was able to give a presentation on my work to a Biochemistry class and participate in the career panel," said Brady.

When asked to recall her fondest moment on the field, Brady went back to the Big South Tournament.

"I think my best memory from my days as a Radford University softball player was in 2002 during the Big South Tournament at Winthrop University. Our first game was against Charleston Southern and I ended up going 4-4 in the game," Brady remembered. "Subsequently I was named to the All-Tournament Team that year. While we ended up being knocked out of the tournament, it was probably the most fun I had on the field during my time there."

Brady has utilized the skills she learned both on and off the field to become a great ambassador to not only the Radford softball program, but the university and Big South Conference.

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