Career Seminar Series
The Career Development Center works with representatives from the Graduate Student Council and Baylor Postdoctoral Association to sponsor a monthly career development seminar series. These sessions showcase diverse careers in science as well as topics pertinent to Baylor students and postdocs’ professional development and future career success.
Seminar series steering committee (2019):
- Ian Furey, Graduate Research Associate, Pharmacology
- Collin Johnson, Graduate Research Assistant, Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine
- Mansi Karkhanis, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Molecular and Human Genetics
- Amy Ku, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine
- Fotis Nikolo, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Roopa Sudarshanprasad, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Molecular and Human Genetics
2019 Seminars
June – Data Science
July – Consulting
August – Academia (Assistant, Associate, Professor panel)
September – STEM Education and Outreach
October – Perspectives in Project Management
November - Field Application and Product Support
Previous Seminars
Bench to Bedside Science
Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019
Dr. Michael A. Curran* Associate Professor, Immunology
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center provided guidance in how to
effectively establish clinical connections and collaborations for translationally focused science as well as the the trajectory and strategy of moving a basic discovery to and through a clinical trial.
The Evolution from Academia to Data Science
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Dr. Angela Wilkins*, founder and managing director of Mercury Data Science* hosted a very candid conversation with students, postdocs and faculty about a career in data science and how your path led to starting how own business in data science.
Careers in Goverment
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Our Career Seminar panel in May featured:
Karina Marshall-Goebel, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, NASA-Cardiovascular and Vision Laboratory
D. Nicole Methner, Ph.D, DNA Analyst II, Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
They provided firsthand insights in to health science careers in government, talked about the path that led them to their current roles and took questions from students and postdocs interested in similar paths for their future.
Clinical Research & Management
Thursday, April 25, 2019
This panel discussed clinical research and management careers in industry and academia.
Panelists:
• Carol Chuang, Ph.D. (MCB, 2012), Program Manager, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Leah DiMascio, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, Maia Biotechnology, Inc.
• Jaye Thompson, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Chief Operations Officer, Proxima Clinical Research, Inc.
IP to Commercialization
Thursday, March 28, 2019
This panel addressed the process from lab discovery to commercialization and the various career paths for biomedical PhDs at each phase.
Panelists:
• Miguel Cruz, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; Founder, A2 Therapeutics Inc.
• Brad A. Kairdolf, Ph.D., Senior Licensing Associate, Baylor Licensing Group
• Patrick Turley, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Professor, Senior VP & General Counsel, Baylor College of Medicine
Project Manager Careers
Baylor alumna Jana Knezevic, Ph.D., associate clinical project manager, Immatics US, Inc., introduced the project manager role in clinical trials management. In this position, Dr. Knezevic manages clinical projects from concept through clinical study report completion. She plays an active part in the analysis, summary and reporting of clinical data through the course of the study. Additionally, she leads the development of study-related documents including study protocols, informed consent documents, study manuals and plans, trial master file and case report form design.
Core as a Career
Credit
Chances are that you collaborate with a BCM core lab. Did you also know that there are several academic career path opportunities in these areas? Panelists shared their career journeys to these positions, the nature of their work and differences in their roles vs. a traditional investigator.
Panelists:
• Daniel Kraushaar, Ph.D., Technical Director, Genomic & RNA Profiling Core
• Anna Malovannaya, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biochemistry; Academic Director, Mass Spectrometry (MS) Proteomics Core
• Corey Reynolds, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Navigating Your First Year as Faculty
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018
Baylor College of Medicine junior faculty members offered helpful advice for #postdocs. They shared insights and lessons learned over their first year as a new faculty member.
Panelists:
• Jihye Yun, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular & Human Genetics
• Ruhee Dere, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular & Cellular Biology
• Matthew McGinley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neuroscience
Medical Science Liaison
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
Panel discussion that provided insights into the MSL career path and advice for trainees interested in making the transition to this unique role in the industry.
Panelists:
• Amanda Chancey, Ph.D., Senior Medical Science Liaison, Aimmune Therapeutics
• Wanda Vila-Carriles, Ph.D., Senior Medical Science Liaison, Sanofi-Aventis
• Mike Fountain, Ph.D., Senior Medical Science Liaison, Shire
NIH Career Development (K) Awards
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Students and postdoc's heard from Baylor College of Medicine faculty as they shared their personal experiences with various NIH K awards.
Dr. Hodges (K99/R00) and Dr. Wang (K01) each provided a short overview of their respective K funding mechanism and tips/advice for writing a successful application, followed by audience Q&A.
Research Careers in Industry
Thursday, May 24, 2018
This panel provided insights and advice on industry research careers as well as similarities and differences between start-ups, medium-sized biotech and large pharma companies.
Panelists:
Emily Evans, Ph.D., Business Development, Noleus Technologies & Deputy Director, enventure
Konrad Gabrusiewicz, Ph.D., Scientist II, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals
Melinda Mata, Ph.D., Scientist, Immatics Biotechnologies
Donald Shaffer, Ph.D., Associate Director, Jounce Therapeutics, Inc.
Pathways to Independence
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Associate Professors Penelope Bonnen, Ph.D. (Molecular and Human Genetics & Molecular Physiology & Biophysics) and Ben Arenkiel, Ph.D. (Molecular and Human Genetics & Neuroscience) share insights in to promotion and the tenure process as well as career advice with Baylor College of Medicine graduate students, postdocs and junior faculty.
Genetics Counseling
Thursday, March 22, 2018
As an integral part of the healthcare team, genetic counselors provide risk assessment, education, and support to individuals and families at risk for, or diagnosed with, a variety of inherited conditions. Daniel Riconda, MS, CGC, genetics counselor and program director for Baylor’s new Masters in Genetics Counseling program, along with Eric Schmitt, MS, Ph.D., CGC, and Sarah Scollon MS, CGC gave an overview of this career path and training opportunities. They each discussed the various paths they took in their career and how that lead them to the field of Genetics Counseling.
Transitioning to Independent Investigator: Insights from Baylor Junior Faculty
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018
Baylor junior faculty members Emily Mace, Ph.D., (assistant professor, pediatrics), Buck Samuel, Ph.D, (assistant professor, molecular virology and microbiology) and Francois St-Pierre, Ph.D. (assistant professor, neuroscience) shared their experiences transitioning from postdoc to independent investigator. Sharing insights and lessons learned from the academic job search, potential challenges and tips on how to get your lab up and running, recruiting students and hiring personnel. As well as expectations for junior faculty and how to manage these demands and how to develop your mentoring network as an independent investigator.
