Dr. De Bellis received his M.S. degree in biochemistry working under Martin Horowitz, Ph.D., and completed his Ph.D. with Ira Schwartz, Ph.D. “I consider both of these men dear friends and amazing scientists,” says De Bellis. He went on to postdoctoral studies at Hunter College and then was asked back to the College by Michael B. Stemerman, M.D., former chair of the experimental pathology department, to develop a gene transfer program. Regarding his work, De Bellis says, “We were studying ways of introducing genes into the endothelial cells that line the coronary arteries to possibly slow down or intervene in the process of cholesterol buildup. It was all extremely novel basic science, and a year later when I left, we were still trying to work out the difficult mechanics of the transfer process. Today, this kind of work has evolved into the whole concept of gene therapy.”

According to De Bellis, he worked toward his Ph.D. without ever thinking of becoming a writer. However, once writing became his career, he found that having advanced science training was a tremendous asset that allowed him to grasp diverse clinical subjects very quickly. He also chose to work free-lance because he always wanted to develop a business of his own.

Was it easy? “The first three years were exquisitely difficult,” he says, “but I pulled through and met my goal of forming a small corporation and having a handful of people work for me on a contractual basis, because when you invest so much of your being it’s hard to let go.” In those early years, he worked very hard to develop his writing skills and took classes and workshops in writing for different audiences. He found this necessary because “medical communications spans everything from consumer, or patient-oriented writing, up through the arcane research grant,” he says. In addition, he had to learn bookkeeping and accounting as well as how to run and grow a business, develop a business plan and understand tax ramifications. In fact, he feels that his full-time free-lance career is not just about writing; it’s also about being business smart. “I see myself first as a businessman,” he says. “My skill is that of a scientifically-trained writer and my writing and editing are the products I offer.”

Dr. De Bellis is president-elect for the Metropolitan New York chapter of American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), and a voting delegate to the board of directors of the national AMWA. He has mentored undergraduate science majors about alternative careers in science and was a participant in a Science Career Symposium held at the College in 1997, moderated by Francis L. Belloni, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences.

Dr. De Bellis and his wife, Mary, a librarian with a master’s degree in library science, have a son, Victor, age three. Besides being a professional musician, De Bellis spent ten years in emergency medical work as an ambulance corps crew chief in Queens, N.Y., and as firefighter in a rescue squad in Fairfield, Conn.

Dr. De Bellis has encouraging words for scientists who are considering writing as a profession: “This is a good career choice for someone with a Ph.D. who likes to write, is detail-oriented, disciplined and pays attention to clear communication. It’s an excellent application of one’s science training. There are first-rate jobs at contract research organizations, pharmaceutical firms and medical education companies. I think people in science training have to realize their alternatives, and medical and scientific communications is certainly a viable career option that is now being acknowledged as a profession all its own.”