BME Alumnus, Chris Durham Offers insight and advice on his time at the University of Utah and how it has helped to shape his career at Merit Medical.

How did your Biomedical Engineering education and research at the University of Utah impact your vision for your career?

 Great question. My undergraduate degree was in electrical engineering. I started working in the medical device field while still working on my bachelor’s degree. Early on, I was using my electrical engineering training, but subsequent projects were decreasingly related to electronics. I decided to return to the University of Utah and pursue a master’s in something that would provide more training in what seemed to be in my future. My bioengineering studies opened my eyes to broader opportunities and encouraged me to consider positions that were both technical/engineering and areas that were less so.

Plot your career development to your current point for me: Looking back, what were major determinants to put you where you are now?

 I began in R&D at Merit Medical about the time I started my junior year at the University of Utah. I continued to work there in that capacity for about 6 years and then took a similar position at Abbott Laboratories locally. That is where I finished my master’s degree and began considering other opportunities within the medical device industry. I tried my hand at working in Quality Assurance. After about 7 years at Abbott, I went back to Merit Medical. I worked in Quality Assurance there for three years and then accepted a role to lead the pressure sensor division of Merit Medical (Merit Sensor Systems). That both brought me back to my electrical engineering roots while, at the same time, exposing me to operations and business responsibilities. I oversaw that division for 7 years and then accepted a role back in the mainstream medical business of Merit Medical running a newly acquired facility in Pennsylvania. That strengthened my connection to operations management while also allowing me to develop skills for team building and business/operations integration. After three years, I returned to Utah to the headquarters of Merit where I have been in my current role in corporate business development, focusing on mergers and acquisitions for the company worldwide and overseeing the integration of those businesses and products. That is the journey.

What recommendations do you have for BME students regarding their coursework, research, presentations, or any other assets for their future employment?

Two things that come to mind are 1) take classes and do research in areas that interest you the most and 2) try to fit in a variety of courses that will also open your minds to other topics, whether technical or otherwise related to roles and occupations that most interest you. 

What do you value in the best quality people who work for you?

 Integrity and accountability. I care less about working with someone that does things perfectly and more about someone who is open-minded and honest, accepts when mistakes are made, and takes responsibility for improvement.

What do you enjoy in your leisure time?

 I enjoy traveling, cycling, and spending time with my grandkids.

What do the next 10 years of your career look like to you?

Ideally, I would like to find more opportunities for mentoring and a more flexible schedule. That sounds a little lazy but sounds great to me.