Part 1: Mentor Interview
What is your job title? - Senior Scientist in Antisense Drug Discovery What are your main duties and responsibilities? - I am in charge of contributing to the discovery and development of novel ASO therapeutics for a variety of rare and severe diseases. Why did you choose to work here? - I learned about the great work that Ionis was doing in graduate school and the innovative therapeutics they were developing. I met several scientists from Ionis at various conferences and networked with them and they all found Ionis to be a fantastic place to work and contribute to scientific discovery. Based on these interactions, I decided to apply for an Ionis Postdoctoral fellowship where I was able to receive more scientific mentorship and training under Ionis scientists. What skills and training are necessary for your position? - Much of what a scientist does is staying up to date on science and constantly collaborating with others to further scientific discovery. Being able to read and dissect scientific literature AND be critical of it helps push our own work forward. It is also important to have good communication skills. We often have to share our data with others so being able to effectively communicate difficult concepts is a great skillset to have. Much of the technical training is hands-on as it involves many different skillsets and assays used to be able to answer questions and contribute to discovery. How did you acquire these skills? Through school? On the job? - I acquired most of my technical skills throughout my academic training while I was getting my PhD at UC Irvine. However, being a scientist means always having to be dynamic and constantly learning. I am always learning something new everyday. Being on the forefront of scientific discovery means always having to adapt and interpret new data, techniques, and science. What do you enjoy most about your job? - I enjoy working with people that are truly excited to be doing what they do. We get the joy and honor of seeing the benefits of our work everyday through the patients we help with our medicine and science. Also, no one day at work is the same which makes coming in every day exciting. Do you consider a career in this area satisfying? In what ways? - Yes, while there are many different paths and places to pursue in science, working at a corporate pharmaceutical company allows one to work in an intense environment where you get to see the benefits of your work in the patients you help. Is there anything you wish you realized about the world of work when you were my age? - I can’t stress enough the importance of getting involved in research early on (to any extent: cleaning glassware, shadowing scientists, etc.). Reach out to professors when you start undergrad. And find ways to get involved. It’s also important to have a life outside of work. I was a premed student myself and during undergrad I remember working in 2 labs, 3 hospitals, studying for MCATs, part-time job, 18 units, etc… Taking a step back to do something that isn’t related to your career-growth (no matter how big or small) can serve as a great outlet and also makes you unique versus the many other people on the same career trajectory as you. Part 2: Reflection - A lot of the skills we learned in school have translated to this internship. As a scientist, you work a lot in groups so having good collaboration and communication skills are very important. The science we are doing is a lot different from biology or chemistry class, though. - I have learned that Ionis' mission is to help patients by creating drugs to better their lives. A lot of the work they do is in research, because they are constantly looking for ways to help different groups of people. - My experience this year has been a lot different than last year. I am the only intern at the company this year, whereas last year I was with three other students. The work is completely different, since last year I sat at a computer all day and this year I am working in a lab and running around the whole time. It has been really exciting doing this kind of work and knowing that is going to helping other people.
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Author12th grade student at High Tech High North County interning at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company doing RNA-targeted therapeutics Archives
February 2020
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