Partnering with Cell Signaling Technology - Career Profile Series
Cell Signaling Technology recently added a Career Profile Series to their blog - Lab Expectations. The purpose of this series is to explore the professional opportunities available for young scientists beyond the walls of academia. The series kicked off with a look into the career of our founder, Tamar Aprahamian Putiri.
The following is taken from the original post:
You’ve probably heard the phrase “What Color is your Parachute?” – taken from a book to guide you toward your career destiny by understanding who you are and what you value in life. I have always had a fascination with science – a need to understand the physiological mechanisms of the human body, and particularly, how to apply this knowledge to treat disease. We are all scientists, yet we have many different colored scientific parachutes. I’m not talking about whether you’re an immunologist or vascular biologist, but what type of career would make you happiest and allow you to flourish (PI in academia? Principal Scientist in industry? Patent Specialist at a law firm? Medical Writer? Entrepreneur?).
If you asked me as a freshly minted PhD, I would never have imagined taking the full entrepreneurial plunge and building my own medical writing business!
How did I arrive at being a small business owner? Let’s start from the beginning.
During my tenure as a graduate student, I developed a novel mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus and accelerated atherosclerosis. Working in a lab studying predominantly cardiovascular diseases, analysis of this new mouse model required immunological expertise from beyond our laboratory. This demonstrated to me the importance of integrating diverse areas of biology in order to better understand the pathogenesis of complex diseases, and became the foundation on which I formulated my independent research program on the academic track. At the time, I had envisioned nothing other than being the PI of a bustling lab, writing grants, and publishing papers. Setting up a small lab and gaining independence was an achievement. I was awarded competitive NIH and foundation grants, published original research and review articles, mentored undergraduate and graduate students through thesis work, served as a reviewer for grant study sections and a variety of academic journals, and even tried my hand at teaching in the graduate school – giving lectures and grading exams.
After 8 years as faculty, I was offered an exciting opportunity in industry in which I could use and further expand my skill set intellectually, technically, and socially. Leading preclinical development at a start-up company had me contacting key opinion leaders, writing portions of patent applications, and racing in every which direction to learn about disease pathologies and new technologies with which I had no prior experience. To me, it was invigorating to learn about non-union bone fractures, or – at a moment’s notice – execute experiments for in-house validation of animal models for acute liver toxicity or wound healing.
As a result of my experiences in academia and industry, I am accustomed to diversifying my knowledge base, and I learned that I can easily adapt to change, and that confidence, excitement, and excellence is paramount. I have also established a vast network of both domestic and international collaborations, fostering productivity and creativity across multiple biological systems and subsequently, the world.
I had started JetPub Scientific Communications in 2015 as a passion project, and it has evolved into a full-time business to provide strategic support and high-quality writing services for the life sciences industries and academic institutions. Over my years in research, l observed the importance of disseminating basic and clinical research to the scientific community in order for the world to make greater strides in advancing research to develop novel disease therapies. The organic growth of JetPub Scientific Communications over the years has been eye-opening as a scientist, and more than exciting as an entrepreneur. It has allowed me to work full-time as a science writer and business owner, extending my knowledge not only through the diverse range of my client’s projects, but also by learning the ins and outs of business development and marketing.
I can honestly ascribe the love for my job to each and every experience in academia and biotech – projects spanning across multiple disciplines, connecting with people at other organizations and across the world, mentoring, lecturing, managing a lab, all of which include writing and creative storytelling. It is safe to say that I have stitched together quite a multi-colored scientific parachute. I realize that all of my academic and industry experiences, in combination with my life values, have primed me for this.
What color is YOUR scientific parachute?
Click here to see the full article: https://blog.cellsignal.com/academia-industry-and-entrepreneurship
