A rich analytical and technical research toolkit, a love of alt-punk concerts, and the ability to craft her own clothing? It’s a rare and delightful combination, and it’s what Fathom has found in our newest senior consultant, Emily Alexander. In her role, Emily will partner with Fathom clients to scope, organize, and execute complex Human Factors Engineering (HFE) initiatives across the medical device industry.
“While human-centered design has always been core to our work at Fathom, Human Factors Engineering is becoming more and more important to our med tech clients. They need to get it right for their users and for the regulatory bodies,” says Lead Consultant and Fathom’s HFE leader Elizabeth Sipple. “Emily’s breadth of Human Factors Engineering experience, analytical mindset, and empathy for users will help us continue to support our clients’ needs throughout their product development efforts.”
After graduating from Iowa State with a degree in mechanical engineering, Emily began her career with a role at Medtronic. She transitioned to Abbott, earning her master’s degree from the University of Minnesota with a focus in Medical Device Innovation while there, before her most recent role as Senior Human Factors Engineer at Veranex (formerly Worrell). Emily’s diverse background, spanning multiple medical device disciplines and more than 685 individual research study sessions, gives her a unique and valuable perspective throughout client research projects.
“I love moderating Human Factors studies, I feel passionate about gathering deep and meaningful root cause information for clients so they are better informed about what design changes would be most helpful to users,” says Emily. “From my previous experience in manufacturing and quality, I understand the cost constraints clients might be under that, in turn, end up impacting usability. Since I’ve been in their shoes before, my focus is on partnering with project teams to find potential design updates that not only improve overall usability, but are attainable for the company to execute on.”
During the interview process, the Fathom team saw how Emily’s precise skillset led to tangible value for her clients. “Emily brought an incredibly clear set of case studies that made obvious not just the quality of her work, but also the impact she has had with clients,” says Principal Consultant Kat Jayne. “I can’t wait for our clients to benefit from her deep expertise and direct leadership style.”
Fathom CEO and Managing Principal Kate McRoberts agrees. “We are thrilled to have Emily on the team. The quality and depth of her work is obvious through her portfolio, but what is even more impressive is her deep empathy and connection to the humans at the center of research studies,” she says. “Our clients will love having Emily on their team as they execute product development plans.”
Outside of work, Emily enjoys traveling with her husband, Ian, and taking long walks through various Twin Cities parks with her golden retriever. She loves hosting friends for dinner parties and board game nights and is always up for a local concert. But perhaps her favorite place to be is at home working on a quilt or crafting project while listening to some of her favorite music.
Welcome to Fathom, Emily! To learn more about Emily, feel free to meet her on LinkedIn.
