How she shines: Dr. Kirsten Hochberg is one of the industry’s great minds. I’ve worked with her for five years as a Clorox Key Opinion Leader and saw her integrity firsthand during our Waterford School time and motion study. Kirsten supported publishing results that challenged long-established industry narratives—including Clorox’s—without softening inconvenient findings. She turns sound science into practical guidance and has made me a more well-rounded professional. That is leadership worthy of recognition.
Kirsten Hochberg is helping shape the future of cleaning through real-world research, industry thought leadership, and scientific storytelling. She has presented evidence-based insights at industry forums, supported research that informs cleaning practices, elevated sustainability discussions, and partnered with key opinion leaders to advance science-based decision making. Her work extends beyond her organization to educate, influence, and strengthen the cleaning industry.
Years in the industry: 5 years
Job responsibilities: Kirsten serves as a scientific subject matter expert supporting customers and field sales on disinfection science, product use, surface compatibility, medical device IFUs, and technical questions; translating complex scientific information into clear, evidence-based guidance. She has translated scientific evidence, competitive intelligence, customer feedback, and emerging industry information into actionable recommendations for internal stakeholders and product strategy.
She also develops and maintains strategic relationships with external key opinion leaders and industry experts to support scientific education, thought leadership, research initiatives, innovation, and product launches. Kristen leads scientific research initiatives from opportunity identification through development and communication of results.
Kristen has served as Clinical & Scientific Affairs lead for six commercial product launches, partnering cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, R&D, and Regulatory to ensure scientific accuracy and develop evidence-based technical messaging, educational materials, and customer resources. She has developed and delivered scientific education and thought leadership through conference presentations, webinars, research publications/content, and customer-facing educational materials, delivering more than a dozen research studies, nearly 30 blogs, 10 webinars, and five conference presentations.
Overall, Kristen has represented Clorox with external industry organizations and thought leaders, including participation in the ISSA Sustainability Council and presentation of scientific and sustainability topics at ISSA.
Manage the CASA Technical Mailbox, providing timely scientific and technical support to field teams and customers, including responses related to healthcare disinfection, IFUs, product compatibility, RFPs, and appropriate product use.
Kirsten Hochberg is a Senior Scientist within Clorox Purell ProCare's Clinical and Scientific Affairs team and is passionate about the health and safety of public spaces while improving environmental protection and sustainability. Her work is focused on providing technical expertise to help people create safe cleaning and disinfection practices in public spaces.
Kirsten earned her Ph.D. in Immunology and her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado. She is currently a member of the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI), the American Public Health Association (APHA), and the American Association of Immunologists (AAI).
Career path: Kirsten's career has been built at the intersection of science, research, and communication. After earning a degree in biochemistry and a PhD in immunology, she conducted postdoctoral research focused on autoimmune and neurological diseases. She then moved into medical communications, helping translate complex scientific and clinical information into educational resources for healthcare professionals.
Since joining The Clorox Company in 2021, Kirsten has applied her scientific expertise to the cleaning and disinfection industry, progressing from Scientist II to Senior Scientist. She has led research initiatives, supported six product launches, developed thought leadership content, presented at industry conferences, collaborated with key opinion leaders, and helped advance sustainability and evidence-based cleaning practices. Today, she is recognized for translating science into practical solutions that help cleaning professionals make informed decisions and advance the industry as a whole.
Best advice received: "Don't just generate knowledge, make it useful." Throughout her career, Kirsten has embraced the idea that scientific expertise creates the greatest impact when it is translated into practical solutions that help people make better decisions. This mindset has shaped her work in research, thought leadership, and scientific communications, allowing her to bridge the gap between complex science and real-world application.
Fun fact: Many people know Kirsten for her work in cleaning and disinfection science, but her background is actually in immunology. She earned a PhD in Immunology and spent years conducting biomedical research before bringing her scientific expertise to the cleaning industry, where she now helps bridge science, education, and real-world application.