NextGen’s ‘Beyond the Bench’ Event

Dear Colleagues,

We are fortunate at the University of Missouri to have innovative and translational research taking place at the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building. Our graduate students and postdoctoral trainees are often unaware of the various career opportunities available in translational research. There are several career pathways involving more than academic research, including entrepreneurship and work in the biotech industry. I was happy to attend an event exposing students to these options at NextGen’s “Beyond the Bench” event on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

In this photo, I am seen chatting with Dr. W. David Arnold, Executive Director of the NextGen Precision Health Initiative and Dr. Anthony Japour, Chief Executive Officer and President of iTolerance, a company pioneering regenerative medicine without immunosuppression.

The day started with a keynote address from Dr. Anthony Japour, who has over 30 years of experience as a physician, researcher and biotechnology and pharmaceutical executive. He began his career at Harvard Medical School as a molecular virologist, but later moved into industry work. Since then, his contributions have led to breakthroughs in HIV treatment.

Students later attended a workshop on career development and how to ‘brand’ themselves to employers, an important part of anyone’s job search, and listened to a panel of achievers who successfully transitioned from academic research into a different career path. Their perspective is invaluable as our scholars prepare to enter the job market.

The career panel featured, from left to right, Jill Link, partner and patent attorney at McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC; Kim Lamb, independent consultant and former Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Operations at Amathus Therapeutics, Inc.; Michael Dixon, President and Chief Executive Officer of UNeMed Corporation; and Dr. Japour. They answered questions and discussed how they entered their respective fields. Not pictured is moderator Lisa Lorenzen, a consultant with Lorenzen Consulere.

After the panel, our networking reception featured an opportunity for attendees to have their resumes reviewed by top industry and entrepreneur professionals.

Students took advantage of the opportunity to mingle with the panelists and other guests from the biotech industry. Free professional headshots were available, too.

Thanks to NextGen Precision Health, our graduate students and postdoctoral trainees were exposed to the many possibilities awaiting them as they enter the job market. It’s exciting to see all the ways we support the next generation of scientists, and find venues to connect with future employers in the biotechnology industry. I look forward to future events that guide our students as they transition to the workplace.

Sincerely,