Have you ever watched BioBuilder’s Career Conversations with amazing STEM professionals? If not, you’re in for a wonderful surprise!
During BioBuilder’s High School Apprenticeship Challenge the 2024 Apprentices got to hear directly from professional scientists, engineers, and others involved in biotechnology research and application. The Apprentices learn about the variety of career paths within science and biotechnology and get to dialog with the guests. How awesome is that?!
The 2024 Apprentices heard from six inspiring professionals who shared the stories of their career paths and super interesting science. Check them out using the links below.
Laura Aguilar
Dr. Aguilar is a physician-scientist, biotech entrepreneur, wife, and mother of two. BioBuilder chatted with Dr. Aguilar about her STEM journey which began with an early interest in veterinary science and moved to human medicine, pediatric cancer research, and gene therapy. She and her husband, a genetics researcher, founded Candel Therapeutics to advance their work in cancer biotherapeutics.
Laura is active in the Greater Boston chapter of Women in Bio and chairs the Young Women in Bio committee where she shares her love of science with young students and professionals. Amongst all these endeavors, Dr. Aguilar has learned the delicate balance of pursuing a demanding career while maintaining a fulfilling personal life.
This is a must watch episode of Career Conversations!
Emma McGuirk
Emma McGuirk is a neuroscience PhD candidate at Brandeis University. In this episode of Career Conversations, Emma describes her journey from high school biology enthusiast to postgraduate work as an Associate Scientist at Sanofi to her current PhD research in neuroscience.
Emma also takes us through her hands-on experiences with animal behavior assays and how she uses mouse models to study diseases such as Angelman Syndrome. From her transition from Sanofi to pursuing a PhD, Emma emphasizes the value of keeping an open mind and seizing diverse opportunities.
Her story underscores the importance of exploring various research projects during graduate school to discover your true passions, offering invaluable advice for students navigating their own academic and professional paths.
You’ll be as inspired as the Apprentices when you give it a listen!
Deeptha Gokul
Deeptha Gokul works as a Senior Associate Scientist in gene therapy at Biogen. In this conversation, Deeptha recounts her journey from aspiring doctor to biotech researcher.
She discusses many important aspects of her work and the industry, such as:
- Application of adeno-associated viruses in delivering genes to patients and the challenges faced due to the novelty of these vectors
- The intricate steps from cell testing to animal models
- The collaborative nature of the biotech industry
- The indispensable role of math in ensuring reliable scientific results
- And much more!
Deeptha’s enthusiasm for laboratory techniques reveals how hands-on experiences, such as those provided by BioBuilder’s programs, can ignite a lifelong passion for science and research.
You don’t want to miss this impactful conversation!
Lisa Stanek
Dr. Lisa Stanek is the Vice President of Translational Science at Affinia Therapeutics. Lisa shares the story of her transformative internship studying dragonfly electrophysiology to her PhD research in neuroscience at Emory University and her career progression in biotechnology. Lisa also discusses the vital role of translational science and how animal models are critical in proving the efficacy and safety of new drugs.
Other topics include:
- The complexities of model development
- Drug delivery systems
- Critical steps involved in scaling research from mice to non-human primates
- The essential process of filing an Investigational New Drug application
- Selecting the right disease indications
- The importance of collaboration with academic and industry partners
Samantha Atkins
Dr. Samantha Atkins, a Senior Scientist at Moderna, describes her winding career path as a researcher who started at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and went on to pursue advanced studies at Purdue University, University of Notre Dame, and Harvard Medical School. Samantha’s unique perspective, shaped by her father’s taxidermy work, adds a fascinating layer to her scientific endeavors.
Samantha shares her insights on investigative pathology and her groundbreaking work with mRNA technology at Moderna. She also discusses their revolutionary “organ on a chip” technology that is designed to minimize animal testing by using engineered human cells—an innovation that could redefine drug testing protocols.
To top it all off, Samantha uses her educational and career experiences to demonstrate the importance of staying flexible and continuously seeking knowledge in the ever-evolving world of STEM.
Prasanna Neti
Prasanna Neti is a Principal Automation Engineer at Stellix Global Services. Prasanna’s role in designing automation solutions and front-end engineering is shaping the future of bioindustrial processes.
She shares valuable insights with BioBuilder Apprentices on a variety of topics, such as:
- How automation replaces manual steps with efficient workflows and the impact of cutting-edge advancements like generative AI on this dynamic field
- The fascinating world of control systems and human-machine interfaces
- The industrial-scale bioreactors that are essential for biological manufacturing processes
- Bridging the gap between industrial applications and laboratory practices
- The importance of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems in data visualization and management
- Manufacturing Execution Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning systems
Listen to learn about more of Prasanna’s engineering insights in biotechnology!
Navigate over to Career Conversations and listen to each of these fascinating discussions and more!
Device Dude
We are so excited to share more great news about BioBuilder students who are embarking upon their college and career paths.
Nicolas Rojas Taborda
recently announced that he was been awarded a scholarship that will cover up to 50% of his financial needs at the college of his choice!
Here is Nicolas’ announcement on LinkedIn:
“I’m very excited to announce that I’ve been awarded the Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship! Founded in 1972, this scholarship supports students who have overcome catastrophic challenges and still reached success both academically and extracurricularly. As a recipient, I’ll receive funding covering up to 50% of my financial need at the college of my choice.
I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and look forward to pursuing my academic and career goals with the support of the Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship Program. Firstly, I want to thank Lorena Marte from Boston Higher Education Resource Center (HERC) for nominating me and giving me this amazing opportunity. Her support was instrumental to this process.
I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Natalie Kuldell from BioBuilder Educational Foundation for not only introducing me to the field of synthetic biology, but also providing incredibly valuable feedback to my current projects.
I additionally want to thank Hailey Lenn Gordon, director of STEM Pathways, for introducing me to iGEM, which led to me being a part of the first Boston high school iGEM team. Through this experience, I was able to apply the skills and knowledge I gained during my Boston University research internship with Arun Nambiar, which played a crucial role in my story and selection into this scholarship.
Thank you all for being a part of my journey! I’m excited to share my educational milestone!”
Congratulations, Nicolas! We are so happy for you!
Kevin Fuentes
and BioBuilder were recently featured in an article by Boston 25 News titled “Education needs it’: Massachusetts science program aims to be accessible in schools across country”.
The article describes Kevin’s journey from BioBuilder to Tufts University and now to his new job at Sunflower Therapeutics. Kevin explains how BioBuilder gave him the vision to pursue this path: “Seeing people who were so excited and so passionate about the things that they were doing, and that kind of lit a fire in me as well,” said Fuentes. “And I think it was the first time that I could have ever imagined myself as a scientist in any capacity.”
BioBuilder’s Dr. Natalie Kuldell was also interviewed and explained BioBuilder’s purpose and approach: “We really do want to work through the public school system, because that’s a chance for students to get some experience in this field when it doesn’t cost them time or money…We really do owe it to that next generation to have them find purposeful work and wealth-building work.”