The School of Medicine Basic Sciences has seen remarkable and diverse students come through its doors, collaborate and learn from distinguished faculty, then graduate from one of our nationally-ranked departments. But where are they now?
They go on to become leaders in basic science fields at notable institutions, universities, governmental entities, and research and development companies. Some of the places our alums have gone on to work at are U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Pfizer Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory—even Vanderbilt!—to name but a few.
One such alum is Jennifer Zachry, PhD’23, a graduate of the Department of Pharmacology who is now the director of business development at Orion Therapeutics.
We sat down with Zachry to discuss her experience at in Basic Sciences and how it played a role in her successful career.
What Basic Sciences activities had the most significant impact on your career path?
I engaged with a ton of the offerings from the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training as I explored my career options after my Ph.D. My primary takeaway from BRET was to let exposure and experience help me refine my career interests.
I attended broadly applicable workshops like the LinkedIn and CV/Resume workshops. I met independently with Ashley Brady, assistant dean of biomedical career engagement and strategic partnerships, and Kim Petrie, assistant dean for biomedical career development, to review my CV.
I also took the Data Sciences module, and once I had determined I had business development interests, I began to choose the activities that best supported that ambition. I took the Management and Business Principles for Scientists module, where I got an introduction to the basics of business and had the opportunity to consult for a core at Vanderbilt. I took part in the Nashville Biosciences internship through BRET’s ASPIRE program.
When I had firmly transitioned into pursuing working a startup, the BRET office helped me identify resources at Vanderbilt, like the Wond’ry, that I could engage with.
Can you share a particular challenge you faced during your biomedical education and how you overcame it? How did this experience contribute to your professional development?
Outside of the BRET office, information on transitioning to careers outside of academia can feel difficult to access or even nonexistent. I often felt lost with how to proceed. I found the best method to deal with the lack of clarity on next steps was to talk to working professionals. Those connections led to additional connections. These conversations ultimately helped shape my path forward in entrepreneurship.
I would strongly encourage graduate students to just start talking to people: Ask people in your network for introductions or recommendations, then ask those people if they know people. No one succeeds on their own, and I find that most people are incredibly willing to offer their time to help a graduate student.
Were there any specific mentors or professors who played a crucial role in shaping your career aspirations?
My advisor, Erin Calipari, was crucial in giving me the freedom to pursue opportunities outside of academia. She is the director of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research and an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology. As I worked through my career ambitions, Erin was an active supporter. She gave me support to complete an internship, participate in BRET modules, and facilitate connections outside of academia. I continue to update her on my time at Orion Therapeutics and she continues to be an awesome mentor now that I have left my Ph.D. work.
How did the networking opportunities provided by Basic Sciences contribute to your professional connections and career advancement?
The BRET Office was my introduction to the Sciprenuer Challenge, a months-long program in which students create commercialization plans for their intellectual property. I created a business plan around the Orion Therapeutics’ lipid nanoparticle delivery platform, which addresses a wide range of disease indications by adapting to different types of RNA. This program connected me with two of the co-founders, Trey Fisher, Ph.D., and Deidra Mountain, Ph.D., at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Through the Sciprenuer Challenge, I met amazing people in Life Science TN and LaunchTN, both of which have a goal to support biotech in Tennessee. LaunchTN awarded Orion a $100,000 match for our successful NSF phase I Small Business Technology Transfer. I recently was asked to serve on the Life Science TN Board, which I see as an incredible opportunity to give back to the life science community in Tennessee for how it has supported my entrepreneurship journey and Orion Therapeutics.
Were there any unexpected professional challenges you have faced, and how did your biomedical education prepare you to navigate those challenges?
As a graduate student, when you don’t know a technique, are unfamiliar with a scientific field, or are struggling to understand a result or the next experiment, you turn to literature, people, and other resources to learn.
Being an entrepreneur is a constant trial-and-error process. You will never feel you know enough or are as experienced as you could be. So, I’ve applied a “continuous learner mentality” to my job in business development.
What skills or knowledge gained during your time at Vanderbilt have been most valuable in your current role or industry?
I see myself, a co-founder and director of business development at an early-stage biotech startup, as a “resource-finder.” I find mentors, accelerator programs, competitions, pitch events, conferences, online courses, etc. As a startup with a small team and limited funds, we rely on these resources and people willing to give their time and expertise to help us succeed. This mentality of finding resources, taking advantage of opportunities, and making meaningful connections was a skillset honed in my PhD. Figuring out an unknown is a rewarding challenge.
Can you share a pivotal moment or decision in your career that was influenced by your experiences at Vanderbilt or with BRET?
When I attended the ASPIRE on the Road trip to Boston in 2022, we visited MassBio, an organization that connects the great majority of pharma and biotech. During our time there, we were introduced to their accelerator program MassBioDrive, which is predominantly composed of the numerous Boston startups in the area, but I applied for membership with the recently formed Orion Therapeutics and we became the first company in MassBioDrive to represent Tennessee.
Looking back, is there any advice you would give to current biomedical students based on the lessons you’ve learned in your career?
I would advise Ph.D. students to see their graduate careers as a time to gain an invaluable set of skills, rather than just a time to acquire and contribute to a body of knowledge. The ability to learn information, to adapt to new input, to pivot, to fail and try again, to collaborate—the list of skills is endless! Any career can benefit from these skills, so graduate students shouldn’t feel limited by their niche in science.