Director of Research & Project Development, Echo Strategies

Ben has worked with Echo Strategies for almost eight years now, and his impact on the company has been significant! In his time with Echo, Ben has managed to work in user-experience storyboarding to different programs , tackled large amounts of research for development, and responded quickly and attentively to different client needs, all to successfully lead the development of several different programs that work to benefit over 300 patients today!

Get to Know Ben Hilldorfer

When he isn’t working with Echo, Ben has a wide variety of passions and hobbies that take up his time.  He enjoys working with real estate investment properties on evenings and weekends, while also exploring his passion for travel!  While there are still some spots on his bucket list, Ben has visited Puerto Rico 5-6 times and plans on visiting again to experience the genuinely, honest and welcoming culture. He also spends time exploring the Pittsburgh food scene, learning about new restaurants and trying out different food trucks, while also taking the time to introduce newcomers to the Pittsburgh area and getting to know them!

Work Background

Before starting with Echo Strategies, Ben received extensive experience in research and medical roles.  He began as a Research Assistant for Penn State University in 2006, before moving onto becoming a Lab Manager and Research Technician for UPMC where he worked to ensure the research being conducted by international surgeons was not only accurate, but also within budget!  Before moving onto Echo Strategies, Ben also worked as a biology instructor at University of Pittsburgh where he focused on ultra-sensitive quantification of HIV virus in blood plasma and cells.

Education

Ben began his education at Penn State University, where he studied Biochemistry & Molecular Biology while minoring in Microbiology! He then moved onto University of Pittsburgh, where he received his MS in Biomedical Science, Molecular Virology & Microbiology.  He stayed on at University of Pittsburgh as a graduate student where he doubled as a biology instructor!