Barbara Woodworth

 

JOBS AWAIT IN THE BIOTECH/BIODMED/BIOSCIENCE/ BIOPHARMA SECTORS

 

THE GOAL OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PATIENT CARE IS A LOFTY ONE - BUT ONE THAT THOSE IN THE FIELDS OF BIOTECH, BIOMED, BIOSCIENCE, AND BIOPHARMA ARE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING. THE FACT THAT THE BUREAU OF LABOR PREDICTS A 27 PERCENT JOB GROWTH FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS FOR 2012-2022 IS PROMISING. WHETHER THAT JOB GROWTH COMES TO PASS OR NOT, THERE IS NO DOUBT OF THE WORLD’S NEED OF SUCH ADVANCEMENTS – AN ENDEAVOR THAT THOSE AT ABBVIE, GENENTECH, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OFMEDICINE, AND OLYMPUS CORPORATION OF THE AMERICAS STRIVE TO ACHIEVE.

 

A VALUABLE ASSET AT GENENTECH

THE most beneficial advice mycah wilson offers is the one she follows herself. “take control of your career and don’t wait for someone to give you an opportunity or ask you to join a project. if you do you may have to wait a very long time,” notes wilson, vendor manager – Genentech access solutions at south san Francisco-headquartered Genentech (www.gene.com). wilson joined Genentech – a member of the roche Group, three-and-a-half years ago.

 

she stresses the importance of transparency when expressing professional interests and passions. “strive to learn more, take on challenging projects, and always request feedback. drive your own career, but do not be afraid to ask colleagues, senior leaders, and role models for direction along the way,” she advises.

 

biomedical engineering is a good fit for wilson, who earned a bs in biomedical engineering from north - carolina state University, a m.ed. from the University of maryland college park, a ms in mechanical engineer ing from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and has past experience at Johnson & Johnson and the FDA. It was also a perfect match for employment at Genentech, a company that drives innovative therapies for patients while valuing employee development.

 

“With my educational expertise, experience, and passion for helping others, I knew I would be a valuable asset,” she states. “The fact that Genentech allows employees to refine and develop their careers is a win-win situation, especially in my current position at Genentech Access Solutions - the industry leader in providing access and reimbursement support services that enable patients to receive the company’s innovative therapies.”

 

When initially assigned to the competitive rotation program, where she served as device development engineer, Wilson drew from her engineering training in user needs assessment and development of functional specifics. “This supported my ability to navigate and adapt to various working environments, including manufacturing, project management, and operational excellence,” she remarks.

 

Although biotech-related careers are in demand, Wilson acknowledges there are challenges. Staying ahead of the changing healthcare environment is one, as drug manufacturers frequently change business requirements according to findings of external stakeholders. “Despite challenges, however, this is a very exciting field, with a very bright future. There is always something new to learn,” Wilson comments. “Communication, relationship management, and strategic ability are skills vital for success that are, more often than not, absent in educational curriculum.”

 

A member of Genentech’s National Society of Black Engineers Recruitment Team, she is also active in College Track, a nonprofit organization that assists first generation/low income students with college readiness. “Growing one’s career needs the intervention and guidance of an advocate,” she stresses.

 

EXPANDING A CAREER AT OLYMPUS CORPORATION OF THE AMERICAS

BEING the first student in her elementary school to have a home computer jump started Nicole Rivera’s future career as quality assurance test engineer at Center Valley, PA-headquartered Olympus Corporation of the Americas (www.olympusamericas.com). Armed with a BS in computer engineering and a MS in industrial engineering from Lehigh University, Rivera began working for this 36,000 global employee company eight years ago.

 

Her decision to join Olympus was predicated on seeking a company where she could expand her career. “At Olympus I found just that,” she relates.

 

Olympus is a world leader in precision technology that designs and delivers innovative solutions in its core business areas of medical and surgical products, life science imaging systems, industrial measurement, and imaging instruments, and consumer cameras and audio products. Since 1919, the company has developed innovative technology solutions that contribute positively to society, and today Olympus technology is instrumental in furthering scientific research and helping to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses.

 

“In my role as software test engineer and quality control manager for Olympus Medical Systems Group, I utilize past programming experience gained while working in the semiconductor industry,” says Rivera, who tests quality measures for medical software.

 

Paying attention to details is critical for Rivera. “The software I test must meet both FDA and company standards. From developing the concept to rolling out the program, we map all requirements, conduct testing, and confirm that all aspects have been met,” she says.

 

The need for software quality control in the medical, biotech, and biomedical fields is essential, according to Rivera. “Technology is continually evolving to meet the needs of health systems, especially as physician networks grow beyond traditional one facility brick-and-mortar borders,” she explains. “As these networks grow, staff will continue to seek new and improved ways for safely and efficiently sharing information and patient records, and that puts technology and the security and effectiveness of software programs in the forefront of the medical, biotech, and biomedical realm.”

 

As a “techie” who enjoys learning about, and implementing, new tools, Rivera also enjoys day-to-day challenges. “There is always something new arising and my job consistently enables me to evolve and improve my skills,” she says, stressing that women pursuing careers in the medical, biotech, and biomedical arenas should not be intimated. “Women have the skills required for such roles and can contribute different perspectives and skill sets,” Rivera asserts.

 

AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ABBVIE TEAM

 

WITh 12,300 US employees and an approximate workforce of 28,000 worldwide, North Chicago, IL-headquartered AbbVie (www.abbvie.com) is in the forefront of discovering and developing new medicines in several areas. Having proven expertise, and considerable impact on how diseases are managed, AbbVie’s slate of internal professionals - scientists, research ers, communicators, manufacturing specialists, and regulatory experts - work jointly on external research efforts, collaborating with industry, academia, and healthcare authorities to focus on developing new products and ways to help people around the world better manage some of the most serious health conditions.

 

For the past two years, Bhagyalaxmi (Bhagya) Murali has been a valued and integral part of the Abb- Vie team. As senior manager R&D IT applications, she utilized her technical background in computer science and information systems to establish herself as an information technology leader within the company.

 

“My BS in computer science and MS in information systems from New Jersey Institute of Technology enabled me to gain the pharmaceutical knowledge I needed to propel myself into the biopharmaceutical arena,” she states.

 

As for selecting AbbVie as her employer of choice, Murali acknowledges that the company piqued her interest. “In addition to viewing Abb- Vie as a growing organization that offered several career opportunities, I was drawn by the fact that AbbVie’s work has significant impact on the patients it serves,” she states.

 

Murali enjoys her job and cites hiring the right talent and being able to offer them internal opportunities for development a challenge she takes very seriously. She identifies essential job skills as problem solving, adaptability, and innovation as most necessary for success in her line of work.

 

“Research and innovation are the cornerstone of AbbVie’s business as a global biopharmaceutical company,” says Murali. Its research and innovative efforts focus on developing medicines that deliver strong clinical performance while providing significant patient benefits in immunology, kid- ney and liver diseases, neuroscience, oncology, and women’s health - and today the company has achieved an impressive record of success in developing breakthrough science.

 

On the job, solving problems intrigues Murali, as does having the ability to take part in influencing outcomes that impact patient lives. She advises others to be passionate about their work. “Be bold, express yourself, take chances, and don’t fear failure,” she says. “The outlook for the biopharma, biotech, and biomedical related sectors look strong and STEM areas are always of value and in demand at science-focused firms such as AbbVie.”

 

SEIZING OPPORTUNITY AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

PARTICIPATING in summer undergraduate research and internship programs taught Namamdjé Bumpus, PhD, what research really involves. “These experiences stimulated my interest in pursuing graduate school and becoming a scientist,” says Bumpus, who holds a BA in biology from Occidental College, a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Michigan, and a postdoctoral fellowship from The Scripps Research Institute. “But I particularly credit my graduate school and postdoctoral fellowship mentors for guiding me in the development of the skills I needed to jump start my research lab,” says Bumpus, now an associate professor of medicine, pharmacology, and molecular science at Baltimore-headquartered Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (www.jhmi.edu).

 

Even with a strong and early interest in science, Bumpus knew she wanted to work in an area directly related to human health. “Pharmacology sounded like a great fit as it dealt with the biology of drugs,” she relates. “My research-intensive summers really cemented my interest and I’ve been hooked on working in that field ever since.”

 

Bumpus, who has been with Hopkins for five years, explains that her initial reason for “signing on” had to do with the opportunity to begin her own laboratory to carry on her work on HIV drugs. “Johns Hopkins presented that opportunity and I seized it,” she says. “My experience there has given me the chance to grow exponentially. I’ve learned much from my colleagues as well as being able to contribute to their research efforts,” she states.

 

Noting that the field of medical science - whether it be pharmacology, biotech, biomed, or bioscience-related–presents many challenges, Bumpus notes that guiding and developing the several graduate students she supervises is also demanding. “I constantly challenge myself to evolve and improve as a mentor and teacher. Because students learn in different ways and have different interests, I must ensure that they have the room and resources they need to grow and learn,” she states.

 

While she cites resilience, selfmotivation, self-examination, curiosity, focus, and empathy as needed skills, she advises young professionals not to let other people’s perceptions determine their fields of choice. “Don’t let someone else deter you from pursuing your goals. Just go for it. Be who you are and speak up for yourself along the way,” she tells her students, along with assuring them that other supportive connections will come along. “These are the people who will truly be interested in your development so hold on to them and nurture these relationships.”

 

With an increasing awareness of the variety of career possibilities in biomedical science, Bumpus sees this as an extremely positive trend for those looking to enter the field. She also sees it as a boon for scientists working toward social justice, an area near and dear to her heart.

 

In addition to being a scientist at Hopkins, she serves as advocate and advisor for graduate students with a focus on historically marginalized groups. “I find this very fulfilling and have organized efforts to recruit students and establish community initiatives. I also spend one-on-one time with students with the goal of helping them navigate the path toward becoming scientists,” she states.