By Helena Mello
Before we begin, I need to make a distinction: “CRO” can refer to two related, but different, companies. It can refer to a Clinical Research Organization or a Contract Research Organization. Broadly, both companies may be considered Contract organizations because they work under a contract to provide service in the form of research services. However, the term Clinical means the company specializes in running and supporting clinical studies, whereas Contract organizations mostly support their clients with pre-clinical (including in-vitro and in-silico work) studies. Not only are their acronyms the same, but their high regard for STEM graduates as well. As a PhD, you can thrive in either setting. On December 7th, the iJOBS program hosted five speakers to share how they have transitioned into both types of CROs.
Srilatha Simhadri, PhD, is a Rutgers alumna. She is currently a Scientist at WuXi AppTec, a Contract Research Organization, working at the in-vitro Biology Department. At WuXi AppTec she is in charge of running in-vitro screening of potential new compounds on behalf of their clients, and needs to know how to operate all of the machines in the laboratory. Dr. Simhadri described her work environment/team as “a tight and extremely cooperative group,” and stated that everyone from technical scientists to VPs interacts with the clients. Dr. Simhadri has had much experience in CRO positions. For example, she had already held positions in CROs between her Master’s and PhD programs. After her PhD training, she transitioned from a postdoctoral position at Rutgers into another CRO, before starting at WuXi AppTec. To that end, she highlighted that CROs offer “many opportunities to work on different things,” which was an attracting feature that made her transition back into the field.
Gabriele Vincelli, PhD, Senior Scientist at Evotec, was also a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers before starting at his current company. Evotec is also a Contract Research Organization, providing similar services as WuXi AppTec. Dr. Vincelli’s experience as a postdoc, particularly in lentiviral-based protein expression, made him the perfect candidate for the job. Besides the technical expertise, Dr. Vincelli is expected to strongly interact with clients and meet their needs with the highest standard, which involves “heavy communication and lots of troubleshooting.” This requires him to stay up-to-date on the most innovative, cutting-edge techniques. He describes his position as “a job that never get boring.”
Xiaotang (Jessica) Ma, PhD, former NJIT graduate student, is currently a Clinical Pharmacology Scientist at Frontage Laboratories, a Contract Research Organization that also offers Clinical Trials Management services. In her position, she uses Machine Learning to assess the tolerability and safety of drugs for new studies. She described her work environment as “very PhD friendly” and, especially in her position, a place to get exposed to several therapeutic areas. Dr. Ma started applying for jobs and internships during her 3rd year of PhD training, which led her to explore many paths outside of academia. When graduation came, Dr. Ma had a few options on the table. To that end, she emphasized the need for tailored resumes for each position she applied for, and the importance of speaking to people in the prospective industry - both of which helped her approach the interviews with a clearer view of what the job would entail, and helped her to make a decision between a few offers.
Miguel Cabrera, PhD, from Target Health, was representing a Clinical Research Organization. He emphasized the role the iJOBS program has played in his career: Dr. Cabrera got his current job through an iJOBS event. He connected with a speaker who introduced him to the CEO of the company he now works for. As Clinical Project Manager at Target Health, Dr. Cabrera oversees clinical studies on behalf of sponsors (companies that own the treatment being tested). His daily activities include searching for qualified sites and negotiating budgets. Although a PhD isn’t required for the role, he said that the skills acquired during his graduate training, such as time and project management, have helped him on the job.
The faster, more adaptable pace of CROs allows them to perform “research-on-demand” and produce meaningful results in less time.
Andrew Napper, PhD, Vice-President for Discovery Sciences at Evotec, brought interesting perspectives that applied to both types of CROs. Dr. Napper has been working in drug discovery for over 30 years, and has held a number of positions both in academia and in industry. He has seen the industry change and called our attention to “pharma’s risk aversion”: when companies shift their efforts towards regulatory, legal, and marketing departments, and outsource the high-risk R&D portion to CROs. The faster, more adaptable pace of CROs allows them to perform “research-on-demand” and produce meaningful results in less time.
Finally, all panelists echoed the importance of networking,regardless of the career path you follow. We have written many iJOBS blog posts that can help you build these connections, such as Networking Etiquette: Tips to Successfully Build a Network and “Informational Interviews – What? How? Why?”. After hearing from these panelists, it was clear that either Contract or Clinical Research Organizations are interesting and welcoming places for PhD holders. Whether you wish to get exposed to new therapeutic areas in a short amount of time, work with cutting-edge techniques, or transition into clinical studies, these companies could be the right fit for you.
I hope this and other posts help you to explore career paths that you may not have thought of exploring. If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us on twitter. Happy Holidays and we will see you in 2021!
This article was edited by Senior Editor Brianna Alexander.