CREATIVE DIRECTION FROM THE INTERSECTION OF science & culture
Hello! I’m Heather Sparks. I love to distill complex information into concise and compelling concepts, campaigns, and copy. A colleague once described me as a unicorn blend of analytical and creative mindsets. I invite you to see for yourself!
I have 18 years of pharmaceutical copywriting experience, and 3 years as an Associate Creative Director. I’ve typed for every category there is—DTC to HCP, Alzheimer’s to Zoster.
In 2022 I was ACD on an incredible team at FCB Health that launched RISE UP, a sickle cell clinical trial campaign. We Shine On, a video I wrote and helped to creative direct, record, and edit, has 3 MILLION+ views on YouTube—30X more than Sickle Cell Warriors in the US. After this experience, I am passionate about continuing to do work that centers marginalized and underrepresented populations—namely Black and female patients.
As ACD at W2O Group (Now Real Chemistry), I led copy and concept development for business pitches in 2018 that won $6M in promised revenue. My team also earned an Rx Club Award of Excellence for the branding development of Translate Bio (since acquired by Sanofi).
In 2019–2020 I was communications manager at Revive & Restore—a nonprofit advancing the use of biotechnology in wildlife conservation. In February 2020, I had the pleasure of writing the press release announcing the birth of “Elizabeth Ann,” the world’s first cloned US endangered species. The story of this genetically important Black-footed ferret reached 1.3 billion people.
I’ve also written long-form promotional content for Netflix, Google, and Intel for Wired Brand Labs and Ready State marketing. At Curology, a direct-to-consumer dermatology company, I worked on the launch of their anti-aging campaign.
I started as a pharmaceutical copywriter at KPR in 2004, moved to Saatchi & Saatchi Health in 2005, and then freelanced from 2009 to 2014.
Art made in response to science is my eternal muse and I have written on this topic for Wired, Popular Science, Vice, and Nautilus. I also independently produced a SXSW Art/Tech meetup in 2017 and panel Why are Artists Vital to the Future of Tech? In 2018.
I hold a B.S. in Molecular Genetics from The Ohio State University and an M.A. in Science Journalism from New York University. After 14 years in New York City, I now live in the San Francisco Bay Area.