Mexico City, September 30, 2025.—Ileana Jiménez Pineda, a student in the Bachelor of Marketing program at the School of Business at the Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City campus, took a historic step in her academic career by becoming a co-author of a scientific article on health, published in the journal Vitalia, which specializes in Public Health and Human Development.
The article, titled Diagnostic Utility of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein as a Prognostic Marker in Chronic Non-Infectious Diseases: A Systematic Review of Recent Clinical Evidence, represents the intersection of marketing, science, and medicine.
From Marketing to Scientific Research
The opportunity to collaborate on this specialized project arose through an invitation from the “coautores160” project. “I currently work in pharmaceutical marketing, and that was my motivation for getting involved in medical topics and combining my interest in health and research,”, Ileana shared.
Although her background is in marketing, Ileana saw this challenge as an opportunity to combine her skills. Her biggest challenge was not the medical content—an area in which she had prior training—but rather “understanding the methodology behind how a scientific article is written and published, ” the student recalls.
From a marketing perspective, his contribution was essential: “To provide a clear and understandable approach, and to consider how the results could be translated into messages that would resonate with patients and healthcare professionals,”, he explains.
From theory to practice: a “barometer” for health
In her contribution, Ileana focused specifically on the sections regarding obesity and type 2 diabetes. To explain the significance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), the study’s key biomarker, she uses a clear analogy: “It’s like a sensor in the blood that measures inflammation in the body (…), giving us an early warning that something isn’t right in our body before visible symptoms appear,”, she notes.
The marketing student highlights the transformative potential of this tool: “This shifts the focus from the current healthcare model—which addresses problems only after they’ve arisen—to a preventive and proactive model. For patients, it means a better quality of life, and for doctors, it means making more personalized decisions based on more accurate information.”
A comprehensive approach to pharmaceutical marketing
Ileana Jiménez currently works at Eli Lilly, a global pharmaceutical company, where she integrates scientific knowledge with marketing strategies. When reflecting on how scientific publishing enriches her professional role, she notes that her work at the company has been equally formative. “There, I’ve had the opportunity to read and learn a great deal about obesity and diabetes—topics that I once saw as far removed from marketing and that I’m now passionate about.”
“I think that combination of science and my work in marketing has helped me grow a lot. I no longer just think about strategies, but about the real impact all of this has on patients,” she adds. For Ileana, it has been very valuable “to realize that marketing can contribute to such a human and important issue”.
Breaking stereotypes and learning without limits
For those students at the Universidad Panamericana , like her, are interested in pursuing careers in highly specialized fields such as pharmaceuticals or healthcare but hesitate because they don’t have a “traditional” background, Ileana has a message: “My advice, in general, is that don’t limit yourselves by the labels of what you studied”.
“As a marketer, I can say that it is in this sector where a marketing vision is most needed to translate technical concepts into something people understand and value,” he adds.
Extending her analysis to other industries, such as technology and renewable energy, the student emphasizes that there is always a need for professionals who understand the user and can communicate the value of technical developments.
“The important thing is to dare to learn about topics that seem distant, to step outside our comfort zone (…) In the end, what really opens doors is curiosity, the desire to learn, and the drive to make a difference,” he says.
Universidad Panamericana: Developing Leaders Who Make a Difference
Ileana Jiménez Pineda’s career is a testament to the fact that an education at the Universidad Panamericana—guided by a humanistic vision—prepares students to integrate knowledge, innovate in their fields, and make meaningful contributions to society’s most pressing challenges.
Learn more about our university's academic program at: https://www.up.edu.mx/sobre-la-universidad-modelo-educativo/
