Sr. Clinical Trial Associate, Mentor
Legend Biotech, McClinton Scholars
“The first thing I would say to my middle school self is that it’s going to be cool to be a nerd in a few years. So keep it going – it’s going to pay off for you.”
STEM Topics Related to Her Work: Biotechnology, cancer research, cell therapy
How She Makes The World A Better Place Through STEM: Khayla is addressing the need for better medications, for more diversity in medicine, and for more students of color to have access to opportunities in STEM.
Hobbies: Mentoring , community building, concerts , traveling.
Education: B.S. in Health Sciences from Georgia Southern University, Masters in Biomedical Sciences from Georgia State University
Khayla McClinton is a passionate scientist and mentor who works in clinical research, focusing on developing new treatments for cancer. She’s part of a team at Legend Biotech, where they test medicines for cancers like pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancer. Khayla’s job involves supporting clinical studies in making safety plans and tracking data to ensure new medicines, treatments, and medical devices are safe and work well for people. Her goal is to find ways to stop cancer cells from growing by helping the body’s proteins and enzymes work together more effectively.
Khayla has always been fascinated by science. As a kid, she was intrigued by volcanoes and the Earth’s layers, and she loved participating in science fairs. But at first, she didn’t think she wanted to be a scientist—she actually dreamed of becoming a midwife to help deliver babies. However, during college, she became captivated by studying diseases and how they develop, which eventually led her to medical research. She worked in infectious diseases before transitioning into cancer research.
During college, Khayla had to work hard to pay for her education, which made her days long and stressful. But she learned how to balance her schoolwork with her job and figured out how to ask for help when things became overwhelming. After graduating, she was still unsure about how to take everything she had learned and turn it into a career, so she decided to go to graduate school. Even though the timing wasn’t ideal—she was studying during the COVID-19 pandemic—she pushed through and worked full-time while also attending school.
Khayla is also passionate about giving back to others. She runs the McClinton Scholars Program: a nonprofit organization that helps college students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, learn how to prepare for life after school and get ready for their careers. She loves working with students in the science field and gets excited when she sees them succeed—whether it’s landing an internship, attending a conference, or graduating with a job offer from a big company like Pfizer.
Khayla’s journey hasn’t always been smooth, but she’s overcome challenges and stayed focused on her goals. She encourages students to embrace their interests, even if it means being a “nerd” because, for Khayla, being passionate about science has opened up so many amazing opportunities. She wants others to see that it’s possible to make a real difference in the world through science.
One of Khayla’s proudest achievements is being a role model for her family. As a first-generation college student, she showed her siblings and younger relatives that they could reach their dreams, no matter where they start. Khayla is excited about her future and hopes to continue making a difference in both her career and her community, helping others reach their full potential. Whether it’s in her work in research or in mentoring students, Khayla’s goal is to inspire others to believe in themselves and chase after their dreams.
