2016
CAREER
HANDBOOK
The Employer Sourcebook for Scientists
I N T RO D U C T I O N
Thanks for picking up a copy of the 2016 Career Handbook.
Our goal, with this booklet as well as all the career resources
from Science, is to bring you useful, relevant information to
help you navigate the job search process and manage your
development in a way that leads you to a truly rewarding career.
To that end, we have teamed up with some great organizations
to bring you information about the latest career opportunities
in many different fields. The profiles shown here will give you a
sense of the types of organizations that are recruiting and the
kinds of positions they offer. We’ve also included some articles
with some general tips and advice on job searching.
In addition to the companies featured in this book, you can
search thousands of additional job postings on our website
ScienceCareers.org—all for free.
T H E T R A N S F E R R A B L E P OS T D O C
BY KENDALL POWELL
AUGUST 22, 2 014
CONTENTS
ARTICLES
The Transferrable Postdoc
Kendall Powell.................................. 4
2015 Top Employers
Kendall Powell.................................. 7
RESOURCES
Job Search Essentials.......................15
EMPLOYER PROFILES
AAAS Mass Media Fellowships......... 16
AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships........... 18
Abbvie............................................ 20
Biogen............................................ 22
Harvard University,
Department of Molecular
and Cellular Biology........................ 24
Now more than ever, experts say, postdoctoral fellows need to
cultivate a broad base of beyond-the-bench skills and capitalize
on transferring them to the next stage of their career to be as
competitive as possible. In today’s competitive job market, it is
vitally important for postdocs to accumulate skill sets on their
CVs right alongside their publications—whether their next
career move is research-based or not. Postdocs who repurpose
their lab leadership and project management skills into star
candidate qualities have an advantage when looking to step
into their next position.
When an infectious disease fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta turned out to be a poor fit for Melissa Ramirez,
she moved on to other postdoctoral opportunities where she picked up
skills in grant writing, student mentoring, and teaching. Her last stop was
as a postdoctoral teaching scholar at North Carolina State University in
Raleigh, where she was immersed in teaching and curriculum development
for the campus’s undergraduate microbiology students.
At each stage of postdoctoral development, Ramirez gained valuable skills
that have now successfully translated into a new career as a teaching
assistant professor at NC State.
Her success was not a given, but came after several years of gathering broad
expertise across areas and matching those skills to her interests. Ramirez’ approach should make her postdoctoral
colleagues sit up and take note—no matter which direction they take next, it’s a tough job market out there. Almost
every sector of the science and technical labor market has tightened since the Great Recession began in 2008.
“It’s very hard to find research positions, in general,” says Paula Stephan, professor of
economics at Georgia State University in Atlanta and a research associate at the National
Bureau of Economic Research. “Postdocs, for the last couple of years, have had particular
difficulty because of a soft economy.”
Roche.............................................26
MEG BUSCEMA
Editor: Allison Pritchard
Design: Lisa Baehr
Titles and affiliations for authors and for sources quoted were correct at
the time of original publication.
© 2016 by The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
All rights reserved. 1 February 2015.
Problem solving, analytical
thinking, and understanding
how to run proper experiments
translate beautifully in today’s
companies operating within
Internet-based commerce.
— Joe Hardy
Paula Stephan urges postdocs
to periodically step away from
their research to make sure they
collect transferrable skills, too.
Universities in both the United States and Europe are hiring more contract-based faculty
or faculty in tenure-track positions that have no salary guarantee and require outside grant
funding. Stephan notes that a combination of factors have hit biomedical job candidates
especially hard, including the flattening of the U.S. National Institutes of Health budget and
the consolidation, downsizing, and off-shoring of jobs among pharmaceutical firms. Some
of the largest chemistry labs in the United States, such as DuPont, are also downsizing.
“Once we get updated data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates and Survey of Doctorate
Recipients, I think we’ll see that industry is hiring fewer Ph.D.s for research positions as well.”
Compounding the problem is the expectation gap that exists among the roughly 56% of
postdocs who believe they will continue on to tenure-track academic positions and the
21% who actually did in 2012 (scim.ag/XWZwhv). In addition, the definition of a successful
academic job candidate has also shifted in the last decade. Beyond stellar research and
publication records, faculty candidates must also collaborate across disciplines and the
globe, and have a sharp talent for fundraising.
3
Even though writing clearly, presenting complex ideas, and
successful completion of projects comes with the postdoc territory,
job seekers might need to spell these abilities out for employers.
Another invaluable skill postdocs must possess to succeed in almost any later venture is
writing clearly and concisely. Doing three paleontology postdocs in France, Berlin, and
New York—and writing multiple fellowship applications to fund them—prepared Faysal
Bibi for pursuing the large grant he needs to secure a permanent faculty position. Now
in a five-year “habilitation” post as an assistant professor of paleontology at the Museum
für Naturkunde in Berlin, Bibi says he has the confidence to write a proposal for the €1–2
million grants necessary to sustain a research program.
Although this might all seem bleak, Doctorate-holding scientists are highly employable in many arenas. While postdocs tend
to put their heads down and toil to collect data, Stephan and others urge them to periodically step away from their research
to make sure they collect transferrable skills, too.
“Actually many of the skills we need for academic careers are the same for non-academic careers,” says David Bogle,
chemical engineer and pro-provost of the Doctoral School at University College London. Strengths in analytical thinking,
problem solving, written and oral communication, and collaboration make postdocs universally attractive. “No employer
wants somebody that is narrow-minded” or too narrowly focused, say Bogle.
PHOTO: BY BRIAN KRAATZ
Got skills?
When it dawned on Christine Gould that she actually enjoyed the process of writing up her
thesis and postdoctoral work, she investigated scientific writing careers. As a medical writer
for Health Interactions in San Francisco she prepares manuscripts, slide presentations,
and abstracts for biotechnology clients. Careers that employ scientific writing skills include science communications
and journalism, medical writing, regulatory affairs, and continuing medical education (or CME). Jeff Sfakianos even
found that his manuscript-writing skills were extremely handy when filing patent applications for his therapeutics startup
company. Sfakianos, who did a postdoc at Genentech, found that the back-and-forth with patent examiners mirrored the
process of peer review. “Writing my own papers was more important than I imagined,” he says.
Faysal Bibi
A variety of self-assessment resources can help postdocs track their progress. “Young scientists need to periodically sit
back and think, what skills do I have? What skills do I need for my project? And what am I lacking?” says Bogle.
He recommends the Researcher Development Framework created by Vitae (scim.ag/1lVhLtb), a career development
organization based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The framework covers four domains scientists need to be effective:
intellectual knowledge, personal effectiveness, professional standards, and working with others.
Similarly, the myIDP website (myIDP.sciencecareers.org) is particularly well-suited to helping biomedical scientists explore
careers and set goals for career development. Sibby Anderson Thompkins, director of postdoctoral affairs at University of
North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, advises using the National Postdoctoral Association’s Core Competencies document and
the checklist at the end of it (scim.ag/1pmZp9l) as a concrete way to discuss professional development and specific skills
goals with postdoctoral advisors.
A skills frame-shift
The core skills that every postdoc needs to transition to a successful academic career are well known. Professorships go
to those who exhibit clever experimental design and efficient research project management, who can deliver persuasive
scientific arguments, and who are able to write clear, concise, and winning publications and grant proposals. But many
postdocs may overlook that those same skills—with a slight tweak in frame-of-mind—make them highly marketable for
other positions as well.
Anderson Thompkins says postdocs have to shift their own thinking about their acquired skills and how best to present
them to potential future employers. “Postdocs are, in fact, mini project managers,” she says, and should describe
themselves as such. “Think more broadly—can you manage people, manage time, meet deadlines, and organize? All
those skills are really useful in any job. Any job.”
Bogle points to another skill that is highly valued in the workplace, but often undervalued by scientists: “The
communication of complex ideas in a clear, transparent way. It’s difficult to deliver complex messages quickly.” Joe Hardy
adds that problem solving, analytical thinking, and understanding how to run proper experiments translate beautifully in
today’s companies operating within Internet-based commerce. “Right now, the way companies think about developing and
marketing products is essentially an experimental model,” says Hardy, the vice-president for research and development at
Lumosity, a cognitive-training software company based in San Francisco.
Web-based and technology firms often take the approach of an A-B test, he says, with different customers exposed
to different experiences. Then, companies measure behaviors like clicking links or purchasing in response. Postdocs
understand the importance of random assignment of conditions, good experimental controls, and how to process the data
coming back. “In this world of the Internet, millions of experiments are happening simultaneously. Experimental design and
analysis are big players now,” Hardy notes.
4
Even though writing clearly, presenting complex ideas, and successful completion of projects comes with the postdoc
territory, job seekers might need to spell these abilities out for employers. Hardy of Lumosity stresses that if postdocs are
transferring outside of their immediate research field, then they must describe in detail (and perhaps in a professionmatched vocabulary) their accomplishments and what useful, relevant skills they have attained.
Gould did this by flipping her curriculum vitae on its head. She listed all of her writing experience at the top—including
contract editing work, blogging, and courses in science writing—and de-emphasized her research. “I described myself
as a medical writer who happens to have eight years of experience in cancer biology.” Later, she was told her resume
stood out to the human resources department.
Missing from the toolkit
Most postdocs make good project managers, shepherding multiple lines of research into a coherent final publication,
but they often lack other types of management training. Fiscal, personnel, and time management are critical for careers
both inside and outside academia. These skills, along with teaching and business know-how, should top the list of
anyone heading out on the job market, but obtaining them requires extra effort.
As a senior postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden, Grzegorz Wicher
has acquired an impressive list of technical skills from specialized mass spectrometry to
microdissection and primary cell culture. But when it came to starting up his own cell
culture company, PrimeCell, he took advantage of the Uppsala Innovation Centre, which
helps researchers commercialize their ideas.
Through the center, he took the three-month Business Lab program to gain some business,
marketing, and legal knowledge and to get connected to experts in those areas. He also
attends “business pub” meetings every couple of weeks to chat with others starting
companies and “exchange knowledge with a beer in your hands.”
Chris Blagden, director of CME development and strategy for HealthmattersCME in New
York notices another skills gap: while postdocs get loads of practice at bringing projects
to an endpoint, they get “very little training in the way of doing it cost-effectively and
time-effectively.” These are key for CME projects—and for many other client- or
product-based projects—that must come in on time and under budget. Postdocs who
have managed their own research budget or met tight deadlines may have a leg up.
5
PHOTO: COURTESY
OF GRZEGORZ WICHE
Grzegorz Wicher attends
“business pub” meetings every
couple of weeks to chat with
others starting companies.
T O P F I R M S P R I O R I T IZE T R A N S F O R M AT I V E
T EC H N O LO G I E S , PAT I E N T S
Considerable skills gaps can exist even for postdocs remaining in academia. The leap from postdoc to lab head
comes with considerable shifts in focus and responsibilities—teaching, lab management, dealing with interpersonal
conflicts, and a penchant for fundraising (scim.ag/1mCSOTf)—which don’t necessarily come naturally. Academic career
development programs, like the popular Preparing for Academic Practice at Oxford University in the United Kingdom,
can pave the way for postdocs moving toward tenure-track posts.
Ramirez’ teaching scholars program at North Carolina State University provides a foundation for transitioning to
teaching faculty positions. With other fellows, she helped teach, organize, and administer the courses and answered
student questions. Postdocs can also explore teaching careers through programs such as the American Society for
Microbiology’s Teaching Fellows Program, a five-month online development course.
Ramirez says her past research career greatly influences her teaching. She was already skilled at distilling down her
research to a few sentences to grab the attention of scientists outside her field. “It’s the same thing with students—you
have a few minutes to capture their attention in a lecture or you’ve lost them for 50 minutes.”
Running a successful marketing campaign
Regardless of whether postdocs transfer skills to a permanent professorship or to another field entirely, they must think
broadly about how to market themselves when the time comes. Much like a presidential bid, running a successful selfmarketing campaign requires starting years ahead.
Anderson Thompkins says that postdocs who come to the UNC office
early realize they must have a clear sense of their end goal to maximize
their postdoctoral time. The most successful postdocs, she says, consider
different options, having multiple “plan Bs” and do not bank on one
particular career path.
Bogle suggests that trainees ponder career choices at two special times:
research highs and research lows. “Take a break and look around. Go
to the pub with friends and talk about it. Explore, get out there and find
out what’s on offer. Make all the connections you can and make use of
all the external contacts you can.”
“Take a break and look around.
Go to the pub with friends and
talk about it. Explore, get out
there and find out what’s
on offer.”
— David Bogle
Young scientists have things backwards if they research intensely for
10–12 hours per day and then only spend 15 minutes on a job search, says Hardy. “You should spend significant
amounts of time investigating, networking, and understanding what people like you have gone on to do.”
Although self-promotion doesn’t always come naturally to scientists, postdocs need to think strategically about how best
to position themselves in the research enterprise. In his various postdoc posts, Bibi soaked up cutting-edge techniques,
such as evolutionary meta-analysis and genomics, and made valuable personal connections.
“What paid off is that I liked to be a bit of the odd one out, surrounded by people who worked on different things or in
different [geologic] time periods.” This way, he gained both innovative technical skills and expanded his network well
beyond his subfield. As an academic job candidate, he says, “this is something I think I can sell much better than
simply saying that I study fossil antelopes.”
Bibi has landed on the exact right word: “sell.” Job searching in today’s market is fundamentally about selling yourself,
your ideas, and your skills and convincing a potential employer of your value. Luckily, that’s one skill many postdocs
have already unwittingly mastered. After all, how many times have you given a seminar and successfully persuaded the
crowd to believe you and your data?
6
BY KENDALL POWELL
O CTOBER 3 0, 2 015
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors have emerged from the
global recession to find technological breakthroughs driving renewed
enthusiasm and risk-taking at companies. The firms landing at the top
of the 2015 Science Careers Top Employers Survey have harnessed
these innovative sparks and created workplaces that recruit the best and
brightest scientific minds. Their researchers are largely given free rein to
develop the next big thing in green agricultural biotechnology (agbiotech)
or cancer treatment. Real-world results from such breakthrough innovations
inspire the next generation of industry researchers as they ride the crest
of a new wave of biological advances. These top employers ensure that
their scientists surf that wave with agility, passion for what they do, and
creativity to arrive at technologies that will transform lives.
It sounds like an old game show. The buzzword is “transformative technologies.” But it’s truly more than a buzzword.
A palpable excitement travels through both boardrooms and scientific conferences following breakthroughs in
immunotherapy, messenger RNA (mRNA) therapies, or microbiome mining. Many companies have made a strategic
migration away from the tried-and-true (but also too long and costly) pathways of drug discovery toward novel
approaches that promise unprecedented speed and precision.
That excitement is one reason that scores in this year’s Science Careers Top Employers Survey were higher in general—
more so than in the last four years. A better economic outlook, with venture capital money flowing into the biotechnology
and biopharmaceutical sectors more freely, doesn’t hurt either. The scores reflect a breath of fresh air from scientific
advances that translate into not merely incremental advances, but rather transformative new medicines or solutions.
This year like all others, scientists want to work at companies that keep innovation front and center, and the top 20
employers in 2015 include those biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms on the leading edge of these advances.
Three new players arrive on the top 10 leaderboard this year, focused on making the world a greener place, developing
therapies for unique patient populations, or creating a revolutionary technology platform—all first-time survey
participants. Each firm is relatively small, but with growing global reach: Novozymes (#1) has 6,000 employees, Alexion
Pharmaceuticals (#5) has 2,800 employees, and Moderna Therapeutics (#7) has more than 250 employees.
We’re a mid-sized company and that actually matters,” says Peder Holk Nielsen, chief executive officer of top-ranked
Novozymes. “It’s possible to maintain a family-like environment and still operate globally.” Novozymes boasts of an
uber-friendly workplace (rooted in the company’s Danish heritage) and a culture that is science-centric. Twenty-one
percent of the company’s employees are working in labs, and the company touts the fact that 14% of its total revenue is
reinvested into R&D annually.
“Zymers,” as company employees are called, are also given high levels of responsibility from day one. “It means that
young scientists will be charged with significant programs without a lot of managerial follow-up,” says Nielsen. “We trust
people to do their best—it’s a flat organization where everyone can talk to everyone else—and you are expected to have
an opinion and voice it.” Politely, of course.
All the top employers included here exhibit these notions of open communication, flat hierarchies, and environments
that encourage scientists to challenge conventional wisdom. As the highest-revenue pharmaceutical company to make
the top 10, Roche (#8) had 17,566 R&D employees and invested $9 billion in R&D in 2014. Bristol-Myers Squibb
(BMS), which returns to the survey at #20 after an eight-year absence, has a corporate stance of taking big risks
while following solid science. Biocon (#13), based in Bengaluru, India, returns to the list this year as the only firm
7
headquartered in Asia. And Celgene Corporation (moving up to #12 this year after placing #17 in 2013 and #15 in
2014) leapt ahead of other mid-sized biopharma peers, Biogen (#18) and Gilead (#19).
These successful workplaces keep creativity and innovation at the heart of operations—giving employees the
responsibility and control over developing projects and their own careers. These firms are filled with motivated
employees because real-life examples of their work’s impact on the world are woven into their cultures. And though
recruiting and retaining a highly skilled work force is cited as a major challenge for the industry, these companies
excel at attracting and keeping top talent. Benefits, both official and fun perks, keep employees’ eyes on the prize—
developing bold ideas into the next transformative application.
“We are not looking for therapies that give incremental benefits,” says Martin Mackay, head of research and
development for Cheshire, Connecticut-based Alexion. He explains that a focus on rare and ultrarare diseases grew
organically out of the company’s mission to find transformative therapies for devastating diseases. One such condition,
hypophosphatasia (HPP), can be fatal in severe cases in newborns who lack a properly formed ribcage needed for
breathing. This year, Alexion anticipates U.S. approval for Strensiq, an enzyme replacement therapy for HPP.
FOCUS ON CAREERS
Mackay ticks off the impressive results that patients and their families have experienced:
“Babies breathing on their own,
Produced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office
children
growing
at
normal
rates,
even
playing
sports—this
is
the
daily
drive
we
have
at
Alexion.
ANNUAL TOP EMPLOYERS SURVEY
Top twenty
employers
2015 2014
Rank Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
–
1
2
4
–
3
7
–
8
8
9
6
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
7
5
15
–
12
13
16
20
10
–
–
The 20 companies with the best reputations as employers and the top three driving
characteristics for each company, according to respondents in the 2015 survey
undertaken for the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office. The companies without
a 2014 rank did not receive enough mentions to qualify or did not receive a high
enough ranking during the 2014 survey.
Employer (Global headquarters)
Innovative
leader
in the
industry
Novozymes (Bagsvaerd, Denmark)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Tarrytown, NY)
Novo Nordisk (Bagsvaerd, Denmark)
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Boston, MA)
Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Cheshire, CT)
Genentech (South San Francisco, CA)
Moderna Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA)
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Roche—excluding Genentech (Basel, Switzerland)
Monsanto Company (Creve Coeur, MO)
AbbVie (North Chicago, IL)
Eli Lilly and Company (Indianapolis, IN)
Celgene Corporation (Summit, NJ)
Biocon (Bangalore, India)
Abbott (Abbott Park, IL)
Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany)
Bayer (Leverkusen, Germany)
Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany)
Biogen (Cambridge, MA)
Gilead (Foster City, CA)
Bristol-Myers Squibb (New York, NY)
Mackay ticks off the impressive results that patients and their
families have experienced: “Babies breathing on their own, children growing at normal rates, even playing sports—this is the
✓
✓
Treats
employees
with respect
✓
✓
Has loyal
employees
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
8
✓
✓
Work culture
values
aligned
✓
✓
✓
✓
Is socially
responsible
✓
✓
✓
2015 Top employers survey methodology
Science Careers conducted its annual web-based survey of individuals familiar with pharmaceutical and biotech
employers to determine the best employers in the field. This survey was conducted from March 18 to April 24, 2015.
Roughly 41,000 individuals from the AAAS database, as well as former survey participants, were invited via e-mail
messages to take this survey. Individuals working in human resources at biotech and pharma companies (Science
Careers sales database) were also contacted by e-mail and asked to promote the survey within their organization.
In all, 5,700 surveys were submitted, which served as the basis for the analysis. The top 20 companies were selected
using a statistical process that calculates a unique ranking score for each company rated. Only companies that were
rated by 35 or more respondents were eligible to become part of the top 20 best employers.
What makes top employers shine?
Each year, Science Careers commissions a survey to identify the top employers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industry and to determine the characteristics that best describe a top employer. This year, the results are based on
5,700 responses to a web-based survey deployed by e-mail (see Survey Methodology).
The vast majority of respondents are scientists working in areas of basic or applied research and development (see
Survey Demographics box). Of the one-fifth of respondents likely to seek a new job in the next year, more than half will
do so to seek career advancement or new opportunities. Human resources officers at top firms are not surprised—they
say employees place a higher emphasis on career development than total compensation.
In selecting the best companies, respondents yet again chose “innovative leader” as the top-driving characteristic.
A top employer is also defined as an organization that “treats employees with respect,” “has loyal employees,” “is
socially responsible,” and has a “work culture aligned” with employees’ values (see Driving Characteristics table).
The 2015 survey included a way for respondents to rank the biggest advantages to working in the biopharma industry.
Workers voted “innovation” solidly as #1, followed by “working with smart colleagues” and “excellent compensation and
Produced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office
benefits” as a close #2 and #3, respectively. Interestingly, workers ranked having the funding and resources for research
ANNUAL TOP EMPLOYERS SURVEY
projects as a more distant #4.
FOCUS ON CAREERS
✓
Demographics
✓
Gender:
54% Male, 42% Female, 4% No response
Experience:
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
with respect,” “has loyal employees,” “is socially responsible,”
and has a “work culture aligned” with employees’ values (see
Driving Characteristics table, page TK).
65% have 10 or more years work experience
✓
Highest degree earned:
37% Doctorate, 32% Master’s, 24% Bachelor’s, 7% Other
Company type:
34% Pharma, 34% Biotech, 24% Biopharma, 2% University,
6% Other; More than 9 out of 10 work in private industry
✓
✓
✓
✓
Nature of work:
36% Development, 28% Applied Research, 20% Basic Research,
10% Administration/Executive, 14% QA/QC/Regulatory Affairs,
8% Production, 11% Other (respondents were able to choose
more than one response)
Geography:
57% from North America, 27% from Europe, 11% from
Asia/Pacific Rim, 5% from rest of world
The firm dropped discovery and development in the areas of
diabetes, virology, and neuroscience in favor of a research focus
9
for position on the immunotherapy wave, with BMS holding the
Companies meeting those challenges adeptly and
leader’s position.
fulfilling
advantages
BMS’s twothose
monoclonal
antibodyinclude
productsRegeneron
both act on T-cell
checkpoints,
mechanisms
that normally act
to shut
down
an imPharmaceuticals,
Incorporated
(#2),
Novo
Nordisk
mune response once the job is finished. Some cancers have also
(#3),ways
Vertex
Pharmaceuticals
(#4),
Genentech
(a T
found
to trigger
these checkpoints
to effectively
shut off
member
of
the
Roche
group)
(#6),
Monsanto
Company
cells and hide from the immune system. By masking checkpoint
receptors,
Yervoy
and Opdivo
number
circulating,
(#9), and
AbbVie
(#10),expand
whichthe
round
outof the
top 10
tumor-recognizing T cells.
employers
(see
chart
for
full
top
20
list).
“The consequence is that the T lymphocytes are back at work
and our natural defense system does a very good job” attacking tumors, says Namouni. Both drugs are approved for treating
The comeback company
metastatic melanoma, and Opdivo is also approved for squamous
lung
cancer.
Namouni says
immuno-oncology
field
exploded
BMS’s
comeback
as athetop
employer after
last
after BMS showed that the immune-activating approach not only
appearing
on the
in 2007
is no mere
coincidence.
worked,
but worked
on list
notoriously
stubborn
cancers.
Theseperiod
amazingaligns
successes
made believers ofmakeover,
investors
That
withhave
a company-wide
and researchers alike, with a flood of companies adding cancer
during which BMS made a series of decisions to
immunotherapy components to their portfolios. Both Celgene
turn
around
a firmstaked
that out
hadterritory
become
one
of the least
and
Roche
have firmly
on the
immunotherapy
stage
already. in the industry.
profitable
Roche has four biologic cancer immunotherapy molecules in
clinical trials that could work in powerful combinations with each
other or with current drugs, says William Pao, global head of
oncology discovery in Basel. Those candidates include antibodies that would activate and arm more T cells and bispecific, engineered antibodies that physically bring T cells to the tumor cells
they are armed to kill. Another engineered antibody would tag
tumor cells with an immunocytokine that preferentially activates
killer T cells.
The firm dropped discovery and development in the areas of diabetes, virology, and neuroscience in favor of a research
focus on oncology, heart failure, genetically defined diseases, immunoscience, and fibrotic diseases. In 2009, BMS took
a big risk jumping into the immunotherapy field by acquiring the company Medarex, which brought with it Yervoy, a
member of a new class of cancer drugs. In 2011, Yervoy became a breakthrough treatment for metastatic melanoma,
and BMS quickly followed that success with another immuno-oncology drug, Opdivo.
By June 2015, the transformation was largely complete, with BMS renewing its focus on the abovementioned areas and
also on immuno-oncology, where it held a huge lead over the competition. The company that emerged on the other side
was slimmer, shedding the weight of a large, too-diversified drug company to become a biopharmaceutical firm focused
on specialty therapies for high medical needs.
“It completely changed the atmosphere. It’s changing the outcomes for these terrifying diseases,” says Fouad Namouni,
head of development for Yervoy and Opdivo at BMS’s headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. “We are walking the
talk, trying to help save lives.” As such, he says the makeover was not only the right business decision, but was highly
motivating for BMS researchers, too. BMS had 7,300 R&D employees, invested $4.5 billion in R&D in 2014, and
expects to open a new R&D campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2018.
Namouni credits trailblazing and bold leadership for BMS’s success in immuno-oncology. “No matter what the science
was telling us, we followed it and applied it, even during times when people thought it was heresy.”
Riding the immunotherapy wave
And people did think so. Although the idea of immunotherapy—activating or boosting the body’s natural defenses to
fight diseases better—has been around for decades, the molecular keys to unleash the immune system without doing
more damage than good have long remained mysterious. But in the last decade, the field has made a tsunami of
progress. Now, pharmaceutical manufacturers are jostling for position
on the immunotherapy wave, with BMS holding the leader’s position.
BMS’s two monoclonal antibody products both act on T-cell checkpoints,
mechanisms that normally act to shut down an immune response once
the job is finished. Some cancers have also found ways to trigger these
checkpoints to effectively shut off T cells and hide from the immune
system. By masking checkpoint receptors, Yervoy and Opdivo expand
the number of circulating, tumor-recognizing T cells.
“We are walking the talk,
trying to help save lives.”
— Fouad Namouni
“The consequence is that the T lymphocytes are back at work and our
natural defense system does a very good job” attacking tumors, says Namouni. Both drugs are approved for treating
metastatic melanoma, and Opdivo is also approved for squamous lung cancer. Namouni says the immuno-oncology
field exploded after BMS showed that the immune-activating approach not only worked, but worked on notoriously
stubborn cancers.
These amazing successes have made believers of investors and researchers alike, with a flood of companies adding
cancer immunotherapy components to their portfolios. Both Celgene and Roche have firmly staked out territory on the
immunotherapy stage already.
Roche has four biologic cancer immunotherapy molecules in clinical trials that could work in powerful combinations
with each other or with current drugs, says William Pao, global head of oncology discovery in Basel. Those candidates
include antibodies that would activate and arm more T cells and bispecific, engineered antibodies that physically
bring T cells to the tumor cells they are armed to kill. Another engineered antibody would tag tumor cells with an
immunocytokine that preferentially activates killer T cells.
10
Much like BMS, Celgene also made a big gamble about a decade ago when it developed a class of immune-modulating
drugs that included the infamous teratogen thalidomide. These immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) compounds, including
Revlimid, were successful at targeting multiple myeloma and lymphoma. They work by boosting the degradation of key
factors for white blood cell production.
Transformative biotechnologies
Other top employer innovations harbor the potential to change lives as well. Transformative biotechnologies at Moderna
and Novozymes are changing the way scientists approach both medicine and agriculture.
Novozymes is a relative newcomer to the biopharmaceutical realm, having split from Novo Nordisk in 2000.
Headquartered in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, the enzyme-based company makes industrial, biofuel, agricultural, and medical
products. Some of Novozymes’ latest technological pushes rely on mining the microbiome to find powerful new enzymes
or activities.
Chief Scientific Officer Per Falholt says that the enzymes discovered to date are only the tip of the iceberg. “In the past,
we were restricted to microbes we could grow in the lab, but metagenomics gets around that,” he says.
Teaming up with fellow top employer Monsanto, Novozymes’ scientists are developing microbial seed treatments that will
yield more corn and soybeans, ideally with less chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or water. These microbes might increase
crop yields by releasing more phosphate or nitrogen from the soil. Nathan Cude works in Novozymes’ agbiotech division
in Durham, North Carolina in the microbial discovery group, which isolates and identifies thousands of microbes
collected from soil samples around the United States. After characterizing the bugs genetically and biochemically, and
assessing safety risks, the group nominates promising candidates to Monsanto for testing
inthe500,000
annual
field trials
Produced by
Science/AAAS
Custom Publishing
Office
of everyANNUAL
imaginable
soil and weather
TOP EMPLOYERS
SURVEY scenario.
FOCUS ON CAREERS
Driving characteristics of top employers
2015:
2014:
1. Innovative leader in the industry
1. Innovative leader in the industry
2. Treats employees with respect
2. Treats employees with respect
3. Loyal employees
3. Loyal employees
4. Socially responsible
4. Socially responsible
5. Work culture values aligned
5. Work culture values aligned
6. Makes changes needed
Driving characteristics are listed
in descending order of impact on
overall employer rankings.
The colored backgrounds indicate
the characteristics in common for
the two years.
aregenetics
extremely and
genuinely
patient-centric,”
of molecular
to work, but,
this case,
as an entirely
new
Moderna’s
mRNAgenetics
therapeutics
alsoin put
the power
of molecular
to work,
but,
in this case,says
asMackay.
an entirely new
That “patientricity” can be seen in town-hall meetings where
drug modality. Formed in 2011 and based in Cambridge, Massadrug modality.
Formed in 2011 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
Moderna is the newest top employer on the
patients share their disease and treatment experiences. After
chusetts, Moderna is the newest top employer on the block. The
block. The
company’s
mRNA
drugs
incorporate
occurring
analogs
that
evade
the body’s
visits from
Alexion’s nucleotide
youngest patients,
Mackay
says
he often
company’s
modifiedmodified
mRNA drugs
incorporate
naturally
occurring naturally
sees employees “walking on air, going back to their lab benches
analogs
that evade
the body’s efficient
efficientnucleotide
dispatch
of foreign,
introduced
RNA. dispatch of
foreign, introduced RNA.
or offices knowing that they could have a real impact on children.”
Theinnovation
urgency to find
treatments
for life-threatening
conditions
Matt Stanton,
Moderna’s
head
chemistry, says
thethe
compaMatt Stanton,
Moderna’s
head
ofofchemistry,
says
company’s
can
use exogenous,
synthesized
mRNA
translates into a company culture that is fast-paced, hardworking,
ny’s innovation can use exogenous, synthesized mRNA to create
to create
protein
of interest
targeted
cell types
orare
tissues.
are obvious
no-brainer
advantages
that
and“There
entrepreneurial
in spirit, says
Clare Carmichael,
chiefto
human
anyany
protein
of interest
in targetedincell
types or tissues.
“There
resources officer for Alexion.
obvious
advantages
to that approach”
in cost, speed,
approach”
in no-brainer
cost, speed,
and efficacy,
he says.
and efficacy, he says.
Similarly, Novozymes’ Nielsen says that young employees are
not driven
by the
their paychecks,
but rather
personal
Chief Executive
Officer
Stéphane Bancel
adds:
ModernaModerna
Chief Executive
Officer
Stéphane
Bancel
adds: “mRNA
drugs
cansize
doofthings
for patients
thatbysmall
molecules
development and making an impact. “People want to tell their
“mRNA drugs can do things for patients that small molecules
and huge
antibodies cannot do.” Among other feats, the technology
has the potential to serve up gene therapy without
kids when they pick them up from kindergarten, ‘I did something
and huge antibodies cannot do.” Among other feats, the
genetictechnology
tinkering,
and
it can deliver
without
themakes
messiness
of acell-based
therapies.
Stanton says
today that
this world
better place to
live,’” he says.
has
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without
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and it can
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medicine without
that thegenetic
technology
alsodeliver
tackle
“undruggable”
targets, forThe
example
bytagline
replacing
missing
intracellular
protein or
its science, from detergent enzymes that save energy and water
the messiness of cell-based therapies. Stanton says that the
disrupting
a
protein-protein
interaction.
to technology for converting waste biomass into biofuels. It even
technology could also tackle “undruggable” targets, for example
by replacing a missing intracellular protein or disrupting a proteinprotein interaction.
Innovation has remained the survey’s top driver for 12 years running. It’s not surprising that scientists want employers who give
them the space and freedom for the creativity needed to find to
trickles into travel planning, with employee reminders about car-
footprints.
1bon
1That
emphasis on sustainability appealed to scientist Leah
Blasiak when she transitioned from academia to her current
post in the agbiotech division at Novozymes. “What I do
Innovation has remained the survey’s top driver for 12 years running. It’s not surprising that scientists want employers
who give them the space and freedom for the creativity needed to find to fresh solutions. Celgene scientist Patrick
Hagner develops next-generation IMiD therapies, including drug candidate CC122. When asked what he likes best
about working there, he replies, “The nerd in me says innovative science is what defines this company.”
But he also mentions a particular 20-year-old lymphoma patient whose cancer had failed to respond to multiple
chemotherapies. After enrolling in a clinical trial for CC122, the patient experienced a remission. “To have actually
helped somebody live longer—that’s one of the most enjoyable qualities of working here.”
Putting patients, planet first
Hagner is not alone in being motivated by making such a tangible difference. Most top employers scored highly for
being responsible corporate citizens and for having corporate values that aligned with their employees’ own beliefs.
Many have sustainability initiatives like buildings powered by wind and recycled water (Celgene), partnering with local
Habitat for Humanity projects (Moderna), or volunteering at patient events like the National Veterans Wheelchair Games
(BMS). Last year, Celgene employees raised funds alongside the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in the Empire
State Building Run-Up, racing up all 86 flights of stairs in less than 15 minutes.
Recruiting and retaining top talent
Recruiting talented young scientists like Blasiak and keeping them on board for the long haul was cited by this year’s
survey respondents as one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Top firms say they have not-so-secret weapons for
attracting the best scientists and keeping them stimulated.
“Novozymes’ success is determined by the passion and energy that Zymers bring to work each morning,” says Nielsen.
He says his firm is often a first choice for scientists in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany who are familiar with it, but
recruiting in the United States or Asia is more difficult.
Falholt says that Novozymes looks for scientists who “burn high,” chewing on problems until a solution comes to them,
whether during work hours or not. Likewise, every Moderna employee is given an iPhone and iPad connected to the
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company cloud, so if genius strikes while an employee reads her Sunday paper, it can be captured instantly.
FOCUS ON CAREERS
ANNUAL TOP EMPLOYERS SURVEY
Comparison of top ten’s top characteristics
That “patientricity” can be seen in town-hall meetings where patients share their disease and treatment experiences.
After visits from Alexion’s youngest patients, Mackay says he often sees employees “walking on air, going back to their
lab benches or offices knowing that they could have a real impact on children.”
The urgency to find treatments for life-threatening conditions translates into
a company culture that is fast-paced, hardworking, and entrepreneurial in
spirit, says Clare Carmichael, chief human resources officer for Alexion.
Similarly, Novozymes’ Nielsen says that young employees are not driven by
the size of their paychecks, but rather by personal development and making
an impact. “People want to tell their kids when they pick them up from
kindergarten, ‘I did something today that makes this world a better place to
live,” he says.
90
Roche—
excluding
Genentech
AbbVie
“People want to tell their kids
when they pick them up from
kindergarten, ‘I did something
today that makes this world a
better place to live,”
— Peder Holk Nielsen
That emphasis on sustainability appealed to scientist Leah Blasiak when she transitioned from academia to her current
post in the agbiotech division at Novozymes. “What I do matters, and I am much closer to the direct application of my
research,” she says.
Novozymes
Vertex
• Innovative leader in
the industry (x-axis),
• Treats employees
with respect (y-axis),
80
Genentech
The company’s tagline “make more with less” plays out across its science,
from detergent enzymes that save energy and water to technology for
converting waste biomass into biofuels. It even trickles into travel planning,
with employee reminders about carbon footprints.
12
RESPECT
Two firms, however, stand out in the crowd for placing patients’ needs (Alexion) and sustainability (Novozymes) squarely
at the center of their business model. “In this industry, everyone is trying to come up with important, good medicines,
but at Alexion, we are extremely and genuinely patient-centric,” says Mackay.
Novo
Regeneron
Nordisk
Width of bubble = LOYAL EMPLOYEES
100
70
Comparison of the top
10 companies on the
basis of the top three
drivers (scored out
of 100):
Monsanto
75
80
85
90
Moderna
Therapeutics
95
• Has loyal employees
(bubble width).
Alexion
100
INNOVATIVE
senior vice president for human resources. “I look for it in every
who cares?” he dismisses. Providing an environment where
interviewee, because the one constant is that Moderna is
employees can dream up new ideas and carry them out is more
Manychanging,”
top employers
employees
who
arewith
“learning
whoideation
can wear
he says. are growing rapidly, and so they look forimportant.
“It is the
speed
which weagile,”
move from
to
When
hiring
at
Roche,
Pao
says
that
personality
is
equally
as
execution
that
makes
Moderna
special.”
multiple, shifting hats, and who excel at cross-functional or even cross-company collaboration. Job candidates must
important as a deep understanding of disease biology and an
showappreciation
the capacity
for development.
managing uncertainty,
change,
ambiguity
in a fast-moving company, says Moderna’s
Unbridled
enthusiasm
of drug
“We look for a team
player and even
That for
buzzitfor
done permeates
all top
employer
can fit into
a matrix
echoing
other top “I look
Stevewho
Harbin,
senior
viceenvironment,”
president he
forsays,
human
resources.
ingetting
everythings
interviewee,
because
the
one constant is
companies and shines through in this year’s historically positive
employers as well. That means someone who can ferry his ideas
that Moderna
is
changing,”
he
says.
overall survey scores. Even though the global economic outlook
and data between all the various layers of a drug development
ticked upward,
attribute theof
survey’s
optimistarget discovery
to that
chemistry
to preclinical
tools
Whenprogram—from
hiring at Roche,
Pao says
personality
is equally
ashas
important
as aindustry
deep leaders
understanding
disease
biology
tic attitudes to scientific excitement rather than financial security.
and testing, clinical development, and beyond.
and an appreciation of drug development. “We look for a team“It’s
player
fit into asitting
matrix
environment,”
uniquewho
to becan
at a company
on top
of discoveries he says,
Respect
loyalty as well. That means someone who
that are
actually
the and
standard
care in cancer,”
saysvarious
echoing
otherbegets
top employers
can
ferrychanging
his ideas
dataof between
all the
It’s an old maxim of business: People leave employers because
Carl Decicco, head of discovery at BMS. Four of the company’s
layersofof
a
drug
development
program—from
target
discovery
to
chemistry
to
preclinical
tools
and
testing,
bad managers. This year, the second-most important driver of
immuno-oncology drug trials had to be stopped due to the clinical
ethitop employers
was
respecting employees, followed closely by
cal need to offer the more effective experimental treatment to
development,
and
beyond.
having loyal employees. Workers at the best companies say that
the other arm of patients receiving standard care. “BMS is willing
respect, which can take many forms, begets loyalty. At Novoto take risks that are backed by good scientific data,” he says.
zymes, employee turnover is low—just 8.5% worldwide in 2014—
“We’re getting a lot of things right and people are finding it an
reflecting a very low proportion of heavy-handed managers, says
exciting place to work.”
Michael Almer, vice president of human resources.
Not resting on laurels inspires Celgene’s employees to always
The company also puts a Scandinavian twist on trust—giving
strive for the next level of success, says Chief Financial Officer
employees a hefty dose of responsibility upfront. Cude recalls bePeter Kellogg. “We try to keep the money focused on the science
ing handed that mantle on day one, starting in an empty lab with
and innovation.” He says employees appreciate long-range plan12 others at the new agbiotech facility. “We still had these goals
ning and vision that allows companies to ride out shifting financial
and timelines dictated by the growing season to meet,” he says.
trade winds. “There’s something to be said for persistence and
“I was put into the deep end, but it was a really great learning and
never feeling like we are a successful company.”
networking experience.”
Above all else, employees rank innovations that allow them to
Smaller tokens of employee appreciation don’t hurt either. Commake a positive, real impact in the world—not compensation,
13
panies have brought in “jeans every day” dress codes (Alexion),
retirement benefits, or career advancement—as the biggest refree ice cream trucks (Novozymes), and an electric car for zipping
ward of working in biotech and pharmaceuticals. Blasiak refers
between campuses (Moderna).
to an oft-repeated motto at Novozymes about having a “triple”
Job Search Essentials
Questions
Respect begets loyalty
It’s an old maxim of business: People leave employers because of bad managers. This year, the second-most important
driver of top employers was respecting employees, followed closely by having loyal employees. Workers at the best
companies say that respect, which can take many forms, begets loyalty. At Novozymes, employee turnover is low—
just 8.5% worldwide in 2014—reflecting a very low proportion of heavy-handed managers, says Michael Almer, vice
president of human resources.
The company also puts a Scandinavian twist on trust—giving employees a hefty dose of responsibility upfront. Cude
recalls being handed that mantle on day one, starting in an empty lab with 12 others at the new agbiotech facility. “We
still had these goals and timelines dictated by the growing season to meet,” he says. “I was put into the deep end, but it
was a really great learning and networking experience.”
Smaller tokens of employee appreciation don’t hurt either. Companies have brought in “jeans every day” dress codes
(Alexion), free ice cream trucks (Novozymes), and an electric car for zipping between campuses (Moderna).
More serious benefits make high-performance employees’ lives a little less stressful. Alexion provides paid caregiver
leave to spend time with a terminally ill loved one and coaches for families navigating college applications. Celgene
places a hefty emphasis on employee wellness, employing a nurse practitioner to treat employees on-site and providing
hot, healthy to-go dinners from its cafeteria and local, farm-fresh produce for employees to buy on their way home.
Moderna operates on the cantina model, serving a free catered lunch so employees can discuss matters over the
daily meal.
But Harbin pooh-poohs the idea that perks like foosball tables will reel in or retain employees. “So Moderna provides
free lunch, who cares?” he dismisses. Providing an environment where employees can dream up new ideas and
carry them out is more important. “It is the speed with which we move from ideation to execution that makes
Moderna special.”
Unbridled enthusiasm
That buzz for getting things done permeates all top employer companies and shines through in this year’s historically
positive overall survey scores. Even though the global economic outlook has ticked upward, industry leaders attribute
the survey’s optimistic attitudes to scientific excitement rather than financial security.
“It’s unique to be at a company sitting on top of discoveries that are actually changing the standard of care in cancer,”
says Carl Decicco, head of discovery at BMS. Four of the company’s immuno-oncology drug trials had to be stopped
due to the ethical need to offer the more effective experimental treatment to the other arm of patients receiving standard
care. “BMS is willing to take risks that are backed by good scientific data,” he says. “We’re getting a lot of things right
and people are finding it an exciting place to work.”
Not resting on laurels inspires Celgene’s employees to always strive for the next level of success, says Chief Financial
Officer Peter Kellogg. “We try to keep the money focused on the science and innovation.” He says employees
appreciate long-range planning and vision that allows companies to ride out shifting financial trade winds. “There’s
something to be said for persistence and never feeling like we are a successful company.”
Above all else, employees rank innovations that allow them to make a positive, real impact in the world—not
compensation, retirement benefits, or career advancement—as the biggest reward of working in biotech and
pharmaceuticals. Blasiak refers to an oft-repeated motto at Novozymes about having a “triple” bottom line.
“‘People, planet, profit’—which is totally buzz-wordy—but it really does mean something here,” she says. Because the
company’s leaders truly care that profitable products also do some good for people and the environment, Blasiak and
her colleagues are inspired to put forward their best effort. “At the end of the day, everyone wants their work to be doing
some good.”
14
Questions to Ask Yourself
• What do you like to do? What energizes you?
• Do you want to do lab work/research?
• Where do you want to work?
• What do you want to wear to work?
• How often do you want to change projects?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What sorts of hours do you want to work?
Are you willing to travel?
What sort of funding situation do you want to be in?
What nonscience interests or skills do you want to use?
How important is your income level? Job security?
What sort of stress levels do you want to deal with?
Would you like to work independently or as part of a team?
Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview
•
•
•
•
•
What attracted you to this field?
What do you like most or least about this position or field?
Describe a typical day or week.
What steps did you take to break into this field?
What skills are most helpful in your job? How can I
develop them?
• To what professional associations do you belong?
• What advice would you give somebody interested in
your line of work?
Questions You Might Be Asked at an Interview
• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Why this organization? Why this job?
• What can you do for us?
• Why are you leaving research? (if applicable)
Questions to Ask at an Interview
•
•
•
•
What does the job entail?
What are the opportunities for advancement?
How will you help with my professional development?
What are the future goals for the organization?
• What are the roles of different team members?
• Tell me about the culture of the organization.
Check out the job listings at
ScienceCareers.org
The AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
seeks to increase communication skills in student scientists.
From grant writing to interacting with their community, these
skills will benefit a student’s career path and increase public
The Fellowship places advanced undergraduate, graduate,
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Various cities across the US
sites nationwide to work as science reporters for ten weeks.
Past sites have included the Los Angeles Times, WIRED,
training in the sciences as they research, write, and report
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complex scientific and technical issues to the public.
PRIMARY CONTACT DETAILS:
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This highly competitive program strengthens the connections
between scientists and journalists by placing advanced
undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate level science,
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nationwide for 10 weeks during the summer. Fellows have
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Apply your scientific analysis and technical knowledge to inform policy through
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Fellows represent a broad array of discipline backgrounds,
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19
A A A S S &T Fellowship
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monumental
experience.
you can too.
aaas.org/stpf/sc
EMPLOY ER PROFILE:
AAAS Science
& Technology
Policy
Fellowships
EMPLOY ER PROFILE:
LOCATION
AbbVie Inc.
1 North Waukegan Road
North Chicago, IL 60064
Phone: 1.800.255.5162
About Us
AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical
company formed in 2013 following separation
from Abbott. The company’s mission is to use its
expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to
innovation to develop and market advanced therapies
that address some of the world’s most complex and
serious diseases. AbbVie employs approximately
28,000+ people worldwide and markets medicines
in more than 170 countries. For further information
on the company and its people, portfolio and
commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com.
KEY RECRUITING AREAS
Corporate
Research and Development
Regulatory Affairs and Compliance
Operations
Commercial
21
A bbv ie
www.abbvie.com/careers
EMPLOY ER PROFILE:
Caring Deeply.
TM
Changing Lives.
Through cutting-edge science and
medicine, Biogen discovers,
develops and delivers to patients
worldwide innovative therapies
for the treatment of serious
diseases.
Founded in 1978, Biogen is one
of the world’s oldest independent
biotechnology companies.
LOCATION
Cambridge, Massachusetts
PRIMARY CONTACT DETAILS:
225 Binney Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
USA
Phone: 781.464.2000
About Us
Through cutting-edge science and medicine,
Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers to patients
worldwide innovative therapies for the treatment of
neurodegenerative diseases, hematologic conditions,
and autoimmune disorders.
Founded in 1978, Biogen is the world’s oldest
independent biotechnology company.
KEY RECRUITING AREAS
Molecular Biology
Immunology
Fibrosis
Neurobiology
Pathology
Cell Biology
Antibody Engineering
Computational Biology
To learn more about opportunities at Biogen, visit:
Postdoctoral Program
BIOGEN.COM/CAREERS
23
Biog en
biogen.com/careers
KEY RECRUITING AREAS
Cambridge, MA, USA
The scientific questions explored
in the department span a wide
range and include as diverse
topics as Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Genetics and Genomics;
Development and Cell Biology,
Molecular Evolution as well as
Neurobiology and Structural Biology.
PRIMARY CONTACT DETAILS:
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard University
52 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
About Us
Greetings and welcome to the Department of Molecular and
Cellular Biology (MCB), at the main Cambridge campus of
Harvard University. We are seeking highly creative and motivated
postdocs with broad interests and outstanding graduate training.
At MCB you will find a collaborative and supportive atmosphere
and a high level of interaction among students, faculty and
postdoctoral fellows. The department is composed of 30-some
faculty, 115 graduate students and 150+ postdoctoral fellows
from a wide range of places in the Unites States and abroad,
giving rise to a distinct international and cosmopolitan flair. A
wide range of scientific lectures, conferences and cultural events
bring people from disparate fields together on almost a daily basis.
Combined with a genuine enthusiasm and a deep-rooted passion
for scientific discovery, this spirit makes MCB an exciting place
to do research and to explore the many unsolved questions in
biology. The department’s development in recent years reflects
the revolution occurring in biology that benefits from new genomewide approaches, powerful new computer and microscope
tools, and collaborations between biology and other science and
engineering disciplines.
Please apply directly to relevant MCB Faculty
25
Har v ard Uni ver sit y, Depar t ment of Mole cul ar and Cellul ar Biolog y
LOCATION
employer prof ile:
https://www.mcb.harvard.edu/postdocs
EMPLOY ER PROFILE:
careers.roche.ch
Roche
LOCATIONS
Basel/Kaiseraugst (Headquarters), Rotkreuz, Schlieren and
Reinach in Switzerland, affiliates in more than 150 countries.
8.9 billion Swiss francs in core research and development
expenditure in 2014 makes Roche one of the most
research focused companies worldwide.
Our 120 year heritage and a stable shareholder structure
ensure a long-term view and a strong and stable
commitment to researching and developing novel
treatments in the areas of oncology, immunology,
infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience
in order to improve the lives of patients all over the world.
Because it’s not just a job.
It’s a responsibility.
A big one.
The next step is yours.
careers.roche.ch/research
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
PRIMARY CONTACT DETAILS:
Think beyond.
Make a difference.
KEY RECRUITING AREAS
Biology
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
Grenzacherstrasse 124
CH-4070 Basel
Switzerland
Biostatistics
Biotechnology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Life Sciences
About Us
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader
in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths
in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s
largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines
in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology
and neuroscience. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro
diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a
frontrunner in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised
healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and
diagnostics that enable tangible improvements in the health,
quality of life and survival of patients. Founded in 1896, Roche
has been making important contributions to global health for
more than a century. Twenty-nine medicines developed by
Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model
Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics,
antimalarials and chemotherapy.
In 2014, the Roche Group employed 88,500 people worldwide,
invested 8.9 billion Swiss francs in R&D and posted sales of
47.5 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, in the United States, is
a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the
majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For
more information, please visit www.roche.com.
27
Medicine
Molecular Biology
Pharmacy
Pharmacology
Physics
Regulatory Affairs
Stem Cell Research
Toxicology
DISEASE AREAS
Immunology
Infectious Disease
Inflammation
Molecular information
Neuroscience
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Translational Medicine
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