Faces of Cedars-Sinai Researcher Janine Bilsborough Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Faces of Cedars-Sinai Researcher Janine Bilsborough Mar 10, 2019 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post Meet Janine Bilsborough, PhD! She's the director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Drug Discovery and Development unit at Cedars-Sinai. We spoke with Janine to learn more about how she's making waves in the science world and her source of inspiration. How are you making an impact on science Janine Bilsborough: I lead a team of research scientists and clinicians who are working to develop new drugs to help the millions of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) achieve long-term remission. Many drugs have been developed, but most haven't been effective. Approved drugs don't work for everyone, so we're taking a precision medicine approach by selecting treatments for patients based on their particular disease characteristics. Read: What is Precision Medicine? What advice would you give to your younger self JB: I would have said to focus on understanding other people's points of view. When we're younger, there's a tendency to want to make your point and convince others of your way of thinking. If you want to move a project forward and achieve your goals, the people you're working with need to know their opinions matter and that you understand where they're coming from. By putting yourself in someone else's shoes, contentious or counterproductive interactions can usually be avoided. Read: Is It IBS or IBD? Are there any women in science who inspired your career path JB: I don't have a famous science heroine, but I've had amazing women mentors who've had a tremendous impact on me. Two former supervisors immediately come to mind. When I encounter challenging situations, I ask myself, "What would they do?" "By putting yourself in someone else's shoes, contentious or counterproductive interactions can usually be avoided." Their personalities are very different and I've been able to draw on strengths I observed in each of them. One has strong opinions but presents them in a calm, rational way that forces people to consider what she’s saying. The other is more of a people person, always upbeat and empathetic, which makes her very approachable. Different situations call for different strategies and I'm fortunate to have learned from the best. Tags Faces of Cedars-Sinai Research Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics In Our Community Faces of Cedars-Sinai Patient Stories Los Angeles Behind the Scenes Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility