Purpose-driven science works because it creates resilience. Careers built on prestige, titles, or external pressure can burn out quickly. But careers built on urgency, alignment, and meaning are the ones that last.

At its core, Catherine Demery’s research is about receptors and signaling pathways—how mu-opioid and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors interact to disrupt breathing. But it’s also about public health urgency.

Catherine Demery shares how walking away from pharmacy school led her to discover a passion for opioid pharmacology. From CRO experience to addiction-focused research, she now investigates fentanyl and xylazine’s effects on respiration using mouse models. Her story offers critical insight into how non-linear paths, personal loss, and public health urgency can shape impactful scientific careers in the GPCR research community.