By Christopher Williams and Kateryna Nabukhotna
Deciding on one’s future beyond graduate school or a postdoc fellowship is a daunting task. But for us and 10 other School of Medicine Basic Sciences students, the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training helped facilitate the next steps in our careers.
Our group of trainees had the unique opportunity to travel to Boston in May to visit biomedical companies new and old, large and small, through the ASPIRE on the Road program. Throughout the tours, we found comfort among the familiar, including our favorite lab equipment, caffeine-fueled science, and the smiles of fellow Commodores.
Before hitting the road, all 12 participants submitted a cover letter and resume to the BRET Office in which we demonstrated our interest in the program and the pursuit of a career in industry. Many of us were unsure of precisely what to expect on this trip, but thankfully Ashley Brady, assistant dean of biomedical career engagement and strategic partnerships and the trip’s organizer, went to great lengths to ensure we were exceptionally well prepared for any and all professional situations. We gathered for two meetings ahead of the trip in which we discussed trip logistics, how to dress, backgrounds of the companies we were visiting, the individuals from each company who would host us during these visits, and more. Needless to say, by the time we landed in Boston, we were ready to go!
Our first stop on the trip was MOMA Therapeutics, a biotech company with fewer than 100 employees that specializes in developing small molecule inhibitors of MOlecular MAchines (enzymes that create force, work, and motion and that give the company its name). A panel of employees from different departments within the company showed us just how critical collaborative work is at a smaller organization, where enthusiasm to learn and help others is indispensable when driving innovation.
On day two of our trip we visited several larger pharmaceutical companies, including Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck. Our conversations with employees at these companies covered just about everything, including company structure and organization, hiring processes and tips for application success, the enormous breadth of positions and functional roles within these organizations, and more.
“It was so inspiring to meet the next generation of scientific talent! The ASPIRE program is such a valuable resource for the biomedical graduate program by providing a way to introduce some of Vanderbilt’s graduate students to careers outside of academia and, importantly, to network with former alums,” said Roshi Afshar, Ph.D.’05, principal scientist at JnJ Innovative Medicine. “I appreciated the questions and interest the students had as they gained exposure to what life is like for different roles in industry, and, as someone who knows firsthand how difficult that leap from academics to industry can be, I hope they were able to take home some nuggets of inspiration and learnings as they navigate the next phase of their careers.”
The next day included visits to incubator spaces that house (very) small biotech startups that often have just a few employees. Many of these companies occupy less bench space than our own labs at Vanderbilt but maintain access to what is otherwise prohibitively expensive equipment and resources.
Before returning to Nashville, we made one last stop at Dewpoint Therapeutics, a smaller biotech company that targets biomolecular condensates. Researchers at Dewpoint showed us how their novel compound-screening pipeline integrates artificial intelligence to discover compounds that modulate the behavior of cells.
Each company—regardless of size—provided not only sleek and modern lab spaces with powerful equipment and ample resources for cutting-edge research, but made sure employees were well hydrated and caffeinated. Espresso machines, sparkling water dispensers, and cold brew on tap were fixtures of each laboratory visit that we were always sure to take advantage of!
An exciting networking opportunity took place during the Vanderbilt Alumni Networking Happy Hour. Before this event, we were provided a list of attendees and their current occupations so that we could identify specific people we hoped to connect with. The happy hour kicked off with a greeting from the dean of Basic Sciences, John Kuriyan, and provided an immediate sense of Vanderbilt community. As the evening went on, we had friendly, helpful, and meaningful conversations with Vanderbilt alums and ended up meeting and interacting with more people than we originally anticipated.
A significant and unique aspect of the trip was the ability to gain firsthand information about industry career paths directly from scientists who had a range of roles within different companies. As many of us have a long-term objective to transition to a career in industry, we were specifically curious about what we could currently do as graduate students and postdocs to increase our chances of being successful applicants for industry roles.
We learned specifics about each company’s positions and interview processes. These behind-the-scenes details were tremendously helpful as we look to start navigating the application process and search for the appropriate job match. We also garnered general insights into the qualities and skills that are critical for getting a job in industry; employees at each company repeatedly mentioned networking as one of the essential factors that can help us stand out from other applicants. Having internal reference contacts can also make a notable difference during the hiring team’s decision-making process.
The ASPIRE on the Road trip was an outstanding opportunity for each of us to grow our networks. At every company, we met scientists at different career stages who specialize in various research areas, which enabled us to establish the most relevant networking contacts based on our individual scientific and career interests.
It was a pleasure to be a part of this year’s ASPIRE on the Road group. Although most of us did not know each other before the trip, all trip participants became quick friends who connected thanks to our common interests. It quickly became apparent that the group consisted of ambitious, curious, open-minded, and driven people ready to ask questions and maximize opportunities. We networked with each other and bonded throughout the trip, particularly during an inspirational walking tour of Kendall Square, one the most innovative spots on the planet due to its high concentration of biotech and pharma companies.
We returned to Nashville feeling inspired and ready to make well-informed career decisions that will hopefully bring us one step closer to our future dream jobs!