Dr. Traci Testerman began her professional career in the pharmaceutical industry, where she studied the mechanisms of action and efficacy of an oral interferon-alpha inducer for the treatment of diseases including hepatitis B and C. Dr. Testerman later transitioned to academia, spending several years researching the role of bacteria in a range of conditions, including enterocolitis, atherosclerosis, gastric and colorectal cancers, and a rare appendiceal cancer. During this time, she also taught microbiology to graduate and medical students. Dr. Testerman subsequently moved into public health, where she led a comprehensive overhaul of the hepatitis C testing and treatment program for the South Carolina Department of Corrections. As a result of these efforts, the cure rate for incarcerated individuals in the system now exceeds 98 percent.