Alumna Sandra Glucksmann (Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, 1989) visited the University of Chicago where she spoke about her career path, as well as diversity in the scientific industry at the Diversity in Science Seminar, hosted by the Multicultural Graduate Community. A summary of those discussions, written by Joyce Pieretti, PhD 2016 Integrative Biology, follows.
Those who attend graduate school chose to do so based on their passion for learning and discovery. But what happens after you graduate? What career path do you choose based on the skills you have honed while in and out of the lab? The search for the answer to those questions often begins very early on, as you participate in teaching assistantships, lab tours, conferences, and networking all while conducting your own research. These experiences help you sort through the various options, hopefully leading you to a career that will be both intellectually challenging and exciting. Working in the health and science industry through start-up companies is one appealing option, and Sandra Glucksmann can attest to that.
After receiving her degree, Sandra completed a post-doctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then, she has been instrumental to the success of several biopharmaceutical companies. After moving from staff scientist to vice-president of various platform technology groups at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Sandra served as the senior vice president of research and development at Cerulean Pharma, a clinical-stage company developing innovative nanopharmaceutical tumor-targeting products and as chief operating officer at Editas Medicine, a transformative genome editing company, which utilized CRISPR/Cas9 and TALENs technologies to build a novel class of human therapeutics that enabled precise and corrective molecular modifications to treat disease at the genetic level. Sandra is now the President and CEO of her own company Cedilla Therapeutics, which uses intrinsic protein stability mechanisms to broaden the reach of small molecule therapeutics for cancer and other diseases caused by protein dysregulation. (See also Sandra's recent interview on being named one of the Fiercest Women in Life Sciences)
Sandra also serves on the board of directors of Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology (WEST), an organization which prides itself in building a community for women in science and technology. Women researchers trained in these fields can further develop their soft-skills (effective communication, negotiating, etc.), which are often critical to success in a business environment. Sandra felt that as she progressed in her career she became aware of the gender-based differences in how individuals were perceived and treated in professional settings. Being part of WEST has allowed her to explore these issues in more depth and help other women become leaders in their fields through workshops in professional development.
What is Sandra’s advice for graduate students interested in pursuing careers in industry?
- consider post-doctoral positions within industry to get a better understanding of the work environment;
- pursue further training in project management or scientific writing, and attend additional classes in graduate school or workshops based on building industry specific skills;
- volunteer your time to other related causes, thus establishing connections for future endeavors. In particular, Sandra highlights that serving as a board member at WEST has helped her serve on additional boards in the scientific community such as that of Taconic Farms, which specializes in rodent models.
To summarize, the work of a graduate student should NOT be spent entirely in the lab. Sandra describes her time at UChicago as a positive experience where she learned to become better organized and focused. But once Sandra moved away from bench work she had to learn to delegate and adjust to a new identity. While such professional adjustments may be challenging at first, preparedness for these events will make such transitions smoother. Taking advantage of professional development programming offered through many avenues at the university (such as myChoice and Graduate Student Affairs) will help a student embarking on a new career to build a more balanced profile.
Joyce Pieretti