Describe your work experiences since graduation.
I graduated from Clemson University with a PhD in Bioengineering from Dr. Frank Alexis’s lab in May 2015. My first job was with a 3D Bioprinting startup company in Philadelphia, BioBots. There, I was the lead scientist aiming to develop a portfolio of bioinks that could be used to print a variety of tissue types. After about a year, I moved on to another startup company, called RoosterBio, located in Frederick, MD. RoosterBio is a regenerative medicine company with a focus on adult human stem cell manufacturing technologies. At RoosterBio, I began as a Scientist in Process and Product Development, working on everything from stem cell isolation, to cell culture media development, to expansion of stem cells in 3D microcarrier-based bioreactor systems for upscaled manufacturing.
When I was hired, we had about 10 employees, so I got to work on many projects and wear many hats. I got to do some science, marketing, customer service, manufacturing, and operations work—even though it wasn’t exactly in my job description. Being open to jumping in and working on these projects gave me a taste of what each job was like and helped me decide the direction I wanted my career path to go in. In less than a year, I was promoted to Senior Scientist and was the lead on an $8.1M Department of Defense-funded research contract for the scalable expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells in 3D microcarrier-based bioreactor systems to meet commercially and clinically relevant lot sizes.
I have always been interested in the business side of things in the biotech world. Thus, after a few discussions with our CEO, Margot Connor, she gave me an opportunity to work on a few business projects on the side, for which I am extremely grateful. In short, I really enjoyed being able to leverage my technical expertise and RoosterBio Process and Product Development knowledge to understand our customers’ experiments, technical pain points, and how RoosterBio’s products can streamline their work. As of February 2018, I switched over to the RoosterBio Sales team as the Regional Account Manager. I am really looking forward to this opportunity at RoosterBio to learn about how the biotech business world operates, which will ultimately expand my skill set and professional experiences.
What is it like having been out of school for this long vs. your first year out?
To be honest, it feels like I graduated just a few months ago. Time flies! The last 3 years I have been working in industry, which requires a different mindset than an academic environment. Our mission at RoosterBio is to radically change how stem cells are used in regenerative medicine. We are laser focused on delivering the highest quality human stem cell products to enable researchers to get to the clinic faster with shorter development timelines. Having the end customer in mind and developing a product that will give the end user the best experience is key. Aligning my thinking with this mindset has been the biggest adjustment from working in an academic lab.
What did you learn at CU that has repeatedly been valuable?
Throughout Clemson’s Bioengineering PhD program, I constantly had to give presentations about my work. Sometimes I had to be highly technical, like when speaking to my thesis committee, and sometimes I had to be simple, like when speaking to friends and family. Learning to communicate science effectively to different audience types is an extremely valuable skill, and I developed this base at Clemson. At RoosterBio, I communicate with scientists and business colleagues all in the same day. Being able to continuously translate ideas in particular languages, so that both can understand, is critical for success in industry!
What about your first job was unexpected?
My first job after graduating was with a very early stage 3D Bioprinting startup company, called BioBots. They have since changed their name to Allevi. The goal of Allevi is to democratize 3D Bioprinting, making this once exclusive technology easily accessible to any researcher. What was unexpected about this particular job was the network of high-level industry and academic researchers I was exposed to. One particular memory stands out that was important for my career. I was the lead scientist at BioBots, and I worked on a research grant to pair our desktop 3D bioprinter at BioBots with another company’s high quantity and high quality cryopreserved human stem cells for 3D bioprinting in outer space (yes, there are tons of cool experiments going on in space!). While we did not get the research grant, I did make the connection with the collaborating company on the grant. This company was RoosterBio, and that initial connection with the grant landed me my next job with them. In short, always be willing to network because you never know when you will need to tap into it!
What would you tell current students about life after graduation?
Just because you are out of school does not mean you should stop being a student. I graduated with a PhD in Bioengineering and had a heavy focus on tissue engineered blood vessels. My first job was in 3D bioprinting, and now I am working in stem cell manufacturing. Being a bioengineer is special because you have an engineering mindset with an appreciation of biology. Having this skillset and the drive to continuously learn in your career will allow you to get involved with a wide variety of projects and get up to speed quickly—making you very valuable and marketable.
