Inside Everlywell: Celebrating women in science
Women are making an incredible contribution to the Everlywell products you know and love. That’s why in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we’re shining a light on some of the incredible women on our team at Everlywell who make a difference every day—from helping our customers understand how to take action on their test results to supporting the development of the science behind our tests.
We asked six members of our Medical Affairs team to share what they do at Everlywell and why they love working in science. Find their answers below!
Angie McLaughlin, RN, BSN
What is your role at Everlywell? I am a Registered Nurse at Everlywell, and I help ensure medical credibility within the organization. One of my main roles is to host live webinars to help our customers better understand their test results.
Why did you decide on this career? Nursing is actually my second career; my undergraduate degree is in Public and Community Health. I worked in that field for a few years doing corporate wellness and nonprofit fundraising before deciding to go back to school to earn my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
I've always had an interest in education as well as helping others, and nursing seemed like a perfect combination of the two. I also found it appealing that there are so many different types of nursing beyond working in a traditional hospital setting, as evidenced by my role here at Everlywell!
What is your favorite Everlywell test? Perhaps an unconventional choice, but one of my favorite Everlywell tests is the FIT Colon Cancer Screening Test. I think this is one of our most important and impactful tests. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the US, but screening methods like our FIT test can help catch it early when it can be best treated. My public health background taught me the importance of proactive prevention, so I am a big advocate for screening programs and early detection methods.
What’s one way you’re challenging yourself to live a healthier life this month? I recently had a baby, and I also have a toddler, so I am currently prioritizing sleep! I do have one of our Women's Health Tests at home that I am looking forward to taking and comparing to my previous test results, but I may wait a bit before taking it since I am breastfeeding and that can impact some of the hormone levels measured on the test. On the other hand, it may be an interesting experiment to measure my levels now and see how they are impacted by the postpartum period.
Tia Walton, Director of Partner Lab Quality and Compliance
What is your role at Everlywell? I am the Director of Partner Lab Quality and Compliance at Everlywell. My day to day consists of ensuring laboratory quality and compliance to meet all regulatory requirements and standards. I also work to establish quality management systems for various departments, including Everlywell Diagnostics.
Why did you decide on this career? I am actually a Medical Laboratory Scientist by trade. I have been in laboratory medicine for about 10 years and I love every bit of it. I specialized in Infectious Disease and then had the opportunity to become an auditor by CAP and ISO training. I love having the ability to review, change, and implement new processes while following regulations, and creating new programs.
What is your favorite Everlywell test and why? My favorite Everlywell tests are actually the STI tests we offer. I'm a microbiologist by trade and I enjoy the study of microorganisms.
What’s one way you’re challenging yourself to live a healthier life this month? I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I've been dealing with it for a long time, so I'm challenging myself to take the Heart Health Test to check on my heart more often.
Charlotte Purdy, RN, BSN
What is your role at Everlywell? I am a Registered Nurse, and I work on the Medical Affairs team! My time at Everlywell is mostly spent leading webinars, answering customer questions with the help of our customer care team, and supporting a lot of research projects related to our current and future at-home lab tests.
Why did you decide on this career? I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I was in elementary school. My mom is a nurse, and watching her compassion for other people really resonated with me early on, and eventually, it led me to go to nursing school. I have a passion for women's health and fertility, and my career has been centered around that.
At Everlywell, I lead the Women's Health and Women's Fertility webinars, and I love being able to talk with women about their results. I also really enjoy getting to interact with people from all walks of life and having the opportunity to talk with them about their health and wellbeing.
What is your favorite Everlywell test? Women's Health is an area that is very dear to my heart. I love the Women's Health Test because it gives women the power to have lab results about how their hormones are functioning. A lot of times we feel like something is off and may not know where to start looking for the cause of our symptoms.
The Women's Health Test is a comprehensive panel that is packed with so many great biomarkers that give us insight into what may be going on with our body. I love the saying "knowledge is power" and feel like this test gives us current information about our body, and then we can take that information and advocate for our health and wellbeing.
What’s one way you’re challenging yourself to live a healthier life this month? Working from home has been an adjustment for me and I know that I am not moving around as much as I am used to. This month I am focusing on yoga and meditation. I have also started taking my dog for walks around lunchtime and soaking in the sunshine!
Want to find a partner in your health and wellness journey? Find out which of our 30+ at-home lab tests could be a fit for you. Choose from our Women's Health Test to the Women's Fertility Test, and more!
Sheena Batura, MS, RDN, LD
What is your role at Everlywell? I’m a Registered Dietitian on the Medical Affairs team. I’m responsible for a lot of different things. Most of what I do involves medical and scientific education and communication.
Why did you decide on this career? I was actually in an entirely different career prior to becoming a registered dietitian. Changing careers meant returning to school, completing the prerequisite coursework (my bachelor's degree isn't science-related, so I had a lot to make up for), which led to earning a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Then I became a registered dietitian.
My interest in nutrition was really a lifelong interest. My dad had open-heart surgery when I was a child, and his health scare paired with my mother’s general interest in leading a healthy lifestyle changed the way we ate as a family. This experience really sold me on the importance of nutrition as a form of prevention of the development of chronic illnesses.
What is your favorite Everlywell test and why? The Vitamin D Test is the test I would choose. My choice is rooted in my interest in clinical research related to vitamin D and our health. I’m curious to see what future clinical research reveals about vitamin D and its role as it relates to health implications beyond bone health.
Shalini Muralidhar, VP Lab Director (Everlywell Diagnostics)
What is your role at Everlywell? As the VP Lab Director for Everlywell Diagnostics I am responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory, and for assuring compliance with all applicable regulations like CAP and CLIA.
Why did you decide on this career? I knew I wanted to be part of science and research due to death in my family as a result of cancer and heart failure. Laboratory testing can be such a helpful tool in providing important health insights when they are most needed.
What is your favorite Everlywell test and why? My favorite Everlywell test is the Women's Health Test. As a woman, I like the privacy of my health and Everywell gives me a platform to personalized access.
What’s one way you’re challenging yourself to live a healthier life this month? My goal this month is to drink lots of water and fluids. In my opinion, it’s the best and easiest way to keep yourself cleansed and support detoxification in the body.
Shelley Gautam, RN, BSN
What is your role at Everlywell? I’m a Registered Nurse here at Everlywell. I lead 5 different webinars throughout the week, and every day is a little different. One project I'm working on right now is updating these webinars to continue providing the best experience to our customers to help them along their health and wellness journey.
Why did you decide on this career? I had always been interested in healthcare, and I recognized the importance of doing all the little things that it takes to care for someone. It's the small things, the details that make all the difference in a person's day, and that has proven true time and time again throughout my career.
What is your favorite Everlywell test and why? Women's health has always been a passion of mine—it has led me to work with the fertility population for nearly 10 years. Our society has come so far in recognizing women's rights, but there is still so much work that needs to be done in the healthcare space with regards to gender bias and medical gaslighting. I have personally experienced how frustrating this can be. The Women's Health Test provides a major opportunity for women to empower themselves with the information they need to be their own best health advocates.
What’s one way you’re challenging yourself to live a healthier life this month? This month my goal is to exercise four times per week. So far, I'm on track! It can be tough to exercise on days when I'm tired after work so lately I've been going for a walk during lunchtime, which has been a great way to break up my day and get fresh air.
Want to learn more about any of the at-home lab tests mentioned by our in-house experts? Shop our Women's Health Test,Women's Fertility Test, Heart Health Test,Vitamin D Test, and more!
We feel inspired and empowered by Angie, Tia, Charlotte, Sheena, Shalini, Shelley, and all the other women on our team every day. Want to hear more from our in-house nurses, dietitians, and experts? Check out these blogs with more tips and insights from our team:
- The importance of prioritizing your vitamin D levels during COVID-19: Interview with Sheena Batura MS, RDN, LD
- Vitamin D and COVID-19: here’s what we know
- How to take action on your lab results: A Q&A with Shelley Gautam, RN, BSN
- Exercise during COVID-19: here's why it's important and how to get it done safely
- A registered nurse's health tips for women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s
- 18 Easy Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home