2019 GMS Alumni Career Panels by Senegal Carty, PhD Trainee

In 2019, Barbara Schreiber (GMS Assistant Dean of Alumni Affairs) hosted 5 career panels filled with impressive scientists, including many of our amazing alumni. We want to extend a huge thank you to all of our panelists and to Senegal Carty, a Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) student who summarized the events. Be sure to mark the 2020 panels on your calendar!

Career Panel:  Scientists in Law/Compliance/Regulatory Affairs

Date: February 13, 2019
Panelists:
Dr. Katherine Kopeikina; Technical Specialist at DT Ward PC
Dr. Matthew Pavao; Partner at Cooley LLP
Dr. Tracey Tucker Zhou; Senior Medical Writer at Bluebird Bio

As the idea that graduate students should all be aiming for positions in academia loses its grip on the scientific community, more and more PhD students are aspiring to work in law, compliance and regulatory affairs. One of the ways in which Boston University’s Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BU’s BEST) program has helped to propagate awareness of these options is the recent panel discussion on careers in these fields led by Dr. Barbara Schreiber, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and co-PI (along with Dr. Linda Hyman, Associate Provost of Graduate Medical Sciences) of BU’s BEST. At this event, Dr. Matthew Pavao, partner at the law firm Cooley LLP, Dr. Katherine Kopeikina, technical specialist at the intellectual property law firm DT Ward PC and Dr. Tracey Tucker Zhou, senior medical writer at bluebird bio, all of whom are PhD alumni of BU, shared their paths from graduate studies to their current positions. The panelists also talked about the challenges and joys of working in their respective fields and gave insider tips on how to leverage one’s time in graduate school to become a competitive job applicant.

These fields are closely intertwined with success in science, although not all PhD students and degree holders are aware of them. If you’ve ever imagined making a great discovery or coming up with an extraordinary invention, your fantasy probably included the thrill of the initial finding and the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of your labor appear in prestigious journals or even the news. But what about the steps in between – protecting your ideas and ensuring that credit is given where it’s due? Or communicating your work to regulatory agencies whose green light you’d need to put your finding on the market? For these steps in the process, you would need open-minded professionals equipped with the right technical knowledge to become deeply familiar with your discovery or invention, then craft the documents that would be your tickets past each checkpoint on the way to success. As each of the panelists showed, earning a PhD is excellent preparation for becoming one of these skilled professionals.

Dr. Kopeikina described how, after earning her PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology and working as a postdoc at Northwestern University, she decided to move away from academia. With the help of an acquaintance, she entered the world of patent law and found that her interest in a wide range of topics, her time management skills and enjoyment of reading and writing meant that a position as a technical specialist was an excellent fit.  Dr. Kopeikina also stressed the importance of having good interpersonal skills in her job, which often requires dealing patiently with demanding clients.

In many respects, the qualities of a good technical specialist can also be applied to Dr. Pavao’s job, in which he focuses on intellectual property law, and Dr. Tucker Zhou’s position as senior medical writer. Both careers require excellent writing skills and a sense of curiosity about science in general, as well as the ability to meet tight deadlines and satisfy exacting clients. “If you’re a muscle fiber, and you’re a slow-twitch muscle fiber, you have no chance of success,” is how Dr. Pavao described the pace of his work. As partner at Cooley LLP, Dr. Pavao has learned to balance family life with frequent travel and an endless stream of emails and has no regrets about leaving academia. After discovering the possibility of going into law, Dr. Pavao was put in contact with an attorney whose firm was recruiting life science degree holders and making it possible for them to attend law school at night. Joining this firm as a technical specialist put Dr. Pavao on track to work his way up to the level of partner at his current firm. He advised PhD students and degree holders hoping to enter the same kind of career to gain at least a working knowledge of principles of business and current affairs in the business world. He also encouraged networking through informational interviews whenever possible and taking the patent bar exam before applying to show drive to succeed in the field.

Dr. Tucker Zhou compared some aspects of her work to ‘cat-herding’ –  she gleans expertise from different specialists and manages her team to create documents such as reports on clinical trials for submission to regulatory agencies. When asked what motivated her transition from a postdoc at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to medical writing, she spoke about her desire to remain in science while moving away from the bench. She told attendees that a strong background in molecular biology is what’s important in medical writing, not necessarily the specific field, although postdoc experience can be useful if it shows an ability to learn about different fields. Since collaboration is so important in her job, she explained, industry experience can be a plus for aspiring medical writers.

It was clear that for the avidly listening attendees, Drs. Tucker Zhou, Kopeikina and Pavao were wellsprings of information on how to move towards careers in their respective fields. The questions from the audience came in a steady stream and each panelist gave a glimpse into a fascinating career that many graduate students have had little if any exposure to.  This and other events organized by BU’s BEST, however, are helping us take strides toward widespread awareness of the versatility of a PhD.

Career Panel: Scientists in Industry

Date: February 27, 2019
Panelists:
Dr. Kadryn Kadasia; Associate Scientist, Post-doctoral Fellow at Merck
Dr. Jennifer Layne; Director, Medical Affairs at Insulet
Dr. Melanie Mott; Clinical Writer at DynaMed Plus (EBSCO Information Services)
Dr. Barbara Natke; Director, R&D Business Operations at Shire
Dr. Sumeet Sarin; Scientist at Homology Medicines, Inc.

For some scientists just getting started in their careers, the university environment has taken on a comforting familiarity that can make work in industry seem intimidating. After spending years in school, the idea of moving from the academic culture to a more business-focused industry environment, which demands the flexibility to suddenly switch projects and painstaking recordkeeping that university P.I.s only dream of, can be daunting. Even for those who might want to try building a career outside of the lab, the distance from benchwork to a full-time writing or management position in a company can seem like a chasm.

Yet considering the numbers of doctorate degree holders who make this transition successfully, it’s surprising that more PhD students don’t realize their potential to do well in an industry position. Each of the career paths described by the speakers at the BU’s Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) panel discussion of careers in industry was a testament to the importance of not writing a move out of academia off too quickly when making career plans. The discussion was led by Dr. Barbara Schreiber, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and co-PI (along with Dr. Linda Hyman, Associate Provost of Graduate Medical Sciences) of BU’s BEST. Two of the panelists, Dr. Sumeet Sarin, scientist at Homology Medicines, Inc. and recent BU graduate Dr. Kadryn Kadasia, associate scientist and post-doctoral fellow at Merck, were both able to satisfy their desire to stay close to the heart of science and continue lab work after earning their PhDs. BUMC Pulmonary Center alumna Dr. Barbara Natke, Director of R&D Business Operations at Shire and Dr. Jennifer Layne, Director of Medical Affairs at Insulet have worked their way up to prestigious leadership positions within their companies. Dr. Melanie Mott, clinical writer at DynaMed Plus (EBSCO Information Services), is leveraging the scientific writing and evaluation skills she honed during her time at BUMC, first as a research dietician and later as a PhD student. She currently also works in policymaking with the FDA and USDA, to ensure that their regulations are based on sound science.

Dr. Kadasia highlighted the role BU’s BEST had played in her career success; by attending a panel much like the one she was serving on and making a networking connection with a scientist at Merck who spoke there, she demonstrated her drive to someone who would end up being one of the hiring managers for her current position. “Sometimes you just have to rely on some of the older personal skills; just making that connection, letting people know what your passions are,” she advised the audience.

In his advice to the panel’s attendees, Dr. Sarin also stressed the importance of interpersonal skills. He mentioned that seeking out the right mentors and learning how to give and receive mentorship to make the most out of this type of relationship is a key part of working towards career success. Dr. Sarin also spoke about how choosing a broad scientific question that intrigued him early on in his career development was an excellent source of motivation and helped him to create concrete goals on his way to his current position.

Of course, the panelists also mentioned that complementing clear aims with a certain level of flexibility is key. This is partly because in industry, projects that prove to be unprofitable are quickly dropped and partly because, in the words of Dr. Natke, “There’s always opportunities to change and shift gears, no matter how far in you are.” In addition to her work as Director of R&D Business Operations, Dr. Natke is currently working on earning an MBA and is considering a shift to a position in venture capital.

Two of the panelists’ career journeys are evidence of the demand for doctorate degree holders’ writing skills. This asset is so useful that, in the words of Dr. Layne, “If you can write, you can get a job.” After earning her PhD, Dr. Layne took medical writing jobs that satisfied her interest in translational research while working her way up to her current position at Insulet as Director of Medical Affairs. Of course, it’s impossible to truly leverage one’s skills without letting others know about them, and Dr. Layne made sure to impress this upon the audience, stressing how indispensable LinkedIn is as a self-promotion tool.

Dr. Mott concurred with this advice. “I don’t think I’ve ever officially applied for a job,” she said, emphasizing that trying to build a career while neglecting networking is not a wise approach. Dr. Mott also spoke about rolling with life’s punches and how an unsuccessful application for funding as a postdoc was very disappointing at the time, but in hindsight was a step on her way to her current position as a clinical writer and possibly a future full-time career in science policy.

These are just some of the stories and pieces wisdom shared by the panelists at the second in BU’s BEST recent series of career panel discussions, and audience members came away with a much clearer idea of the opportunities available in industry and how best to seize them.

Career Panel: Science Policy

Date: March 27, 2019
Panelists:
Ms. Jennifer Grodsky; BU Vice President for Federal Relations
Dr. Libby O’Hare; Lewis-Burke Associates, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Naomi Webber; Lewis-Burke Associates, Washington, D.C.

While building a wealth of scientific knowledge and skills, PhD students also become very familiar with the demands of research – equipment, reagents, facilities and training, to name a few, not to mention the funds needed to procure them. They also gain an awareness of the more abstract issues that impact scientists’ work and lives. This knowledge makes doctoral degree holders well placed to bridge the gap between government and research institutions. At the recent panel discussion on careers in science policy organized by BU’s BEST and moderated by Dr. Barbara Schreiber, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and co-PI (along with Dr. Linda Hyman, Associate Provost of Graduate Medical Sciences) of BU’s BEST, three experts in the field explained the importance of this line of work and what it takes to be successful in it. The panelists were BU’s Vice President for Federal Relations, Ms. Jennifer Grodsky, and two science policy experts from Lewis-Burke Associates, Dr. Libby O’Hare and Dr. Naomi Webber.

The event began with a presentation by Ms. Grodsky on what science policy jobs entail and how they impact scientific advancement and the lives of researchers themselves. She explained that this field involves lobbying for universities and other research institutions’ priorities, including funding for research and other important issues such as the #MeTooSTEM movement and protecting intellectual property. Ms. Grodsky also explained that an appreciation of the importance of evidence-based decisions and excellent critical thinking and communication skills, all of which become highly developed during graduate school, are valuable assets for those who do science policy work.

When Ms. Grodsky joined the other panelists and the discussion began, Dr. Webber and Dr. O’Hare reinforced and added to the points she had made during her presentation as they shared their unique career journeys. Dr. O’Hare, who earned her PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA and went on to do postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley before entering the world of science policy, also stressed that clear communication was a must. She also revealed that in some ways, this requirement goes beyond what she learned as a graduate student. “One thing that surprised me about my job is how much time I spent on my email… a well-crafted email is actually my primary form of communication”, she explained, contrasting it to the rushed emails that are more common within a university setting.

The panelists also shared information on opportunities outside of graduate school that students can take advantage of to learn more about science policy. Dr. Webber, who earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of East Anglia and worked in US – UK research relations before joining Lewis and Burke, advised the audience to read policy blogs and papers, while Dr. O’Hare spoke about how participating in student government was an instructive experience for her as she explored the possibilities offered by this field. Another opportunity that Dr. O’Hare encouraged the attendees to consider was the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, which she successfully applied for after her postdoctoral training. The fellowship not only provided her with a chance to gain experience, it also helped her build her professional network.

The benefits of science policy fellowships for those working on getting a foot in the door are clearly not to be underestimated, and Dr. Grodsky revealed that in addition to the AAAS Fellowship, the Jefferson Fellowship program is an excellent opportunity for university faculty to become involved in science policy. She also shared information on the Catalyzing Advocacy for Science and Education (CASE) workshop, which allows students to learn about science advocacy on Capitol Hill during spring break.

The panelists agreed that even without participation in a particular program, it is still possible and important to learn and network through other ways. In her response to a student who asked how to increase the chances of entering a specific science policy area of interest, Dr. O’Hare explained that searching online for people in that field of interest, reading about their career journeys and asking for informational interviews is an excellent way to both learn what it takes to qualify for a job and make connections. Dr. Webber stressed that in order to make sure that these connections can attest to your ability and desire to do the job you want, it’s important to ask specific questions, demonstrate interest and sell yourself during an informational interview. She also encouraged the audience never to underestimate their own abilities while building their careers, saying, “If you see something you’re interested in, go for it and don’t think, ‘Well, somebody else is probably better positioned.’”

As they gave the audience a sense of what work in science policy is like, Dr. Grodsky, Dr. Webber and Dr. O’Hare showed how their careers positively affected their lives as a whole. Each panelist clearly enjoyed her work, welcomed its challenges and motivated the audience to consider following a similar path to help propel and protect scientific research at the policy level.

Career Panel: Careers in Academia

Date: April 3, 2019
Panelists:
Dr. Kelly Conn; Associate Teaching Professor, Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University
Dr. Dennis Jones; BUSM Nancy L.R. Bucher Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Dr. Kathryn Martin; BU Precollege STEM Program Manager
Dr. Elizabeth R. Whitney; BUSM Assistant Professor Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology

After gaining an intimate knowledge of how to navigate an academic environment, many doctoral degree holders have the skills and desire to guide others along the path to building an illustrious career in the sciences. At the panel discussion on careers in academia organized by BU’s BEST and led by Dr. Barbara Schreiber, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and co-PI (along with Dr. Linda Hyman, Associate Provost of Graduate Medical Sciences) of BU’s BEST, four professionals from different areas of academia spoke about what their jobs mean to them and their paths to success. Dr. Kathryn Martin, Precollege STEM Program Manager at BU, encourages young minds to join the scientific community by organizing summer programs for high school students. Dr. Elizabeth Whitney, Assistant Professor in BU’s Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, teaches both dental and medical students. She also mentors students who are learning to become educators themselves and heads a lab that focuses on the neuropathology of autism. Dr. Kelly Conn, Associate Teaching Professor at the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University, helps to train STEM educators on an international level – she teaches students based within the U.S. and in Hong Kong. Dr. Dennis Jones, BUSM Nancy L.R. Bucher Assistant Professor, recently joined the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as a Principal Investigator and will be heading a lab focused on the lymphatic system’s involvement in cancer progression in addition to giving lectures.

For Dr. Martin, an experience mentoring an undergrad was a clue that a career in academia might be right for her. “I really enjoyed building relationships with students,” she explained. After her PhD, she sought a high school teaching position and, through an informational interview, became well-placed to take a position as a substitute teacher, eventually working her way up to full-time. Her experience with high school students is now an excellent asset in her work. Dr. Martin’s response to an audience member’s question about the best piece of advice she had ever been given was, “If you don’t tell your story then someone else will impose it on you.” She explained that as a PhD graduate with unconventional career goals, it was important for her to counter other people’s preconceptions of what positions doctoral degree holders can and should hold.

Dr. Whitney’s journey into academia is another that some would consider unusual – before her PhD, she worked as a physical therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital and volunteered as a Gross Anatomy teaching assistant at Simmons College. During her time as a TA, she also gave some lectures and was hired at Simmons the year after she began her volunteer work – a turning of events that shows the value of her advice to the audience to “Be willing to volunteer and do something that’s not your dream job”. Eager to learn more about basic science, she later applied to Boston University’s School of Medicine, earned her PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology and was hired as a professor soon after.

For Dr. Kelly Conn, who discovered her love of teaching while helping to establish labs in township schools in South Africa, intercultural competence and a passion for social justice are crucial for her line of work. Her zeal for nurturing young minds was apparent as she described volunteering at her children’s school to help foster their love of science. Dr. Conn transitioned to her current line of work from a position as principal investigator of a lab that focused on Parkinson’s disease research. Leaving basic science was not a simple choice for her after years of working towards that type of career, but for Dr. Conn, the rewards of applied science were worth the switch. One of these is the clear progress she can see her students make as she implements ever-improving teaching strategies, which is very different from the slower advancement of basic science. “I can go in and see change every day,” she said.

Dr. Dennis Jones, who took his position as assistant professor just last November, holds a PhD in Immunobiology from Yale and did postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital. Eager to explore his options, he took advantage of an opportunity to spend nine months working at an intellectual property law firm during his postdoc. “I think graduate school should be a time of introspection,” he said, encouraging the audience to truly get to know themselves before deciding on a career. Although he decided against going into law, the experience taught Dr. Jones to write with care and precision, a skill that he utilizes regularly.

For graduate students, teaching often becomes a significant part of their work as they take on mentorship positions. Through writing grants and giving presentations, PhD students also learn how to communicate complex concepts to a range of audiences. These skills, along with others gained through opportunities such as internships and volunteering, clearly served all the panelists well in their diverse career journeys into academia. Their inspiring stories gave the audience a wealth of ideas on how to make the most of their own time in graduate school.

Career Panel: What can you do with a PhD?

Date: April 24, 2019
Panelists:
Dr. Lynes Torres; Life Science Consultant at PA Consulting Group
Dr. Chun Shao; Scientist II at Bristol-Myers Squibb

BU alumni Dr. Lynes Torres and Dr. Chun Shao rounded out the series of BU’s BEST career panel discussions with their different but equally august career success stories. During the discussion, which was moderated by Dr. Barbara Schreiber, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and co-PI (along with Dr. Linda Hyman, Associate Provost of Graduate Medical Sciences) of BU’s BEST, Dr. Torres spoke about her current position as a life sciences consultant at PA Consulting Group and what it took to earn it. Dr. Shao, a scientist II at Bristol Myers-Squibb, also shared her path through graduate school and into a career where she can make a difference in a way that she thoroughly enjoys.

Dr. Torres described much of her consulting work as being “parachuted in” to help teams improve their work. Her graduate school training in the life sciences enables her to understand many of the problems that research groups face, but Dr. Torres made it clear that the skills required for her job go beyond this. For example, to prepare for grueling management consulting interviews, she taught herself about accounting and finance. Through a number of internships, which included working as a marketing intern at Propel Careers and as a volunteer management consultant through Tufts and Harvard, Dr. Torres honed both the knowledge and soft skills she would later put to use at PA Consulting Group.

Surprisingly, early in her career Dr. Torres thought that this line of work could never be right for her. “I thought that my enthusiasm and zeal for science meant that I had no business in business,” she explained. However, this changed when she discovered that management consulting had several aspects in common with teaching. As a former high school chemistry teacher, Dr. Torres knew that she loved educating others and was a highly competent presenter.

Her advice for audience members interested in a career similar to hers was to start with networking. “For management consulting, the first high-priority thing is meeting management consultants,” she explained. In this highly competitive field, she explained, good connections are vital for getting past the first tier of the application process. Of course, to advance through the following stages, it is crucial to demonstrate an understanding of the business as well as the science. Dr. Torres recommended certificate programs or courses like Accounting 101 – although earning an MBA can be a useful asset, she explained, it’s quite expensive and not necessarily required. Dr. Torres also emphasized the importance of being able to give clear and concise PowerPoint presentations, a skill that graduate students have the opportunity to exercise often. Documenting talks at conferences on your resume is an especially good way to show competence in this area, she advised, especially if the audience is large and comes from a variety of backgrounds.

Dr. Chun Shao entered BU in the same cohort as Dr. Torres and was just as eager to make the most of her time as a PhD student, both in the lab and by engaging in extracurricular activities. With the support of her P.I., Dr. Joseph Zaia, she published first-author papers and successfully applied for an internship at Amgen during her fifth year in graduate school. Her current job at Bristol Myers-Squibb focuses on the development side of R&D, which she enjoys because it allows her to watch molecules that emerge from the company’s research go on to improve patients’ lives. Much of her time is spent in meetings, but she continues to do some benchwork and heads a team of Master’s students as well.

Dr. Shao stressed constant self-analysis throughout one’s career journey, advising the audience to avoid seeking positions just for the financial rewards and focus more on what they enjoy and are good at. She also encouraged thorough research into careers of interest. “Before you make any decisions, try to talk with experts in the field and get a flavor of what their daily life is like,” she advised. Work as an industry scientist within larger companies can facilitate this through intra-organizational rotations; Dr. Shao explained that this practice allows new recruits to get a sense of different areas of work within larger companies and find out what they are truly passionate about. However, she also stated the importance of taking action when required and avoiding perfectionism, noting that as scientists, we often put so much emphasis on thinking and planning that we miss fleeting opportunities. Dr. Shao explained that this applies not only to taking advantage of chances to gain expertise and experience, but also to daily life in her job. She gave an example by informing the audience that submitting reports quickly and asking for feedback is far better than trying to achieve perfection on one’s own because: “your solution might not be the optimal solution for your team and for your company.”

Dr. Torres and Dr. Shao both encouraged any audience members who want to learn more from them not to hesitate to reach out. Their achievements during and since their time at BU and their passion for their current jobs are clear evidence that both of them are excellent role models for future doctoral degree holders.