By Sumiyya Raheem
The transition from academia to industry can be enticing for recent graduates. In industry, there is a greater emphasis on translating research into real-world solutions that encourages collaboration between cross-functional teams to deliver practical, outcome-driven results on accelerated timelines. Rutgers alum, Dr. Silky Kamdar, saw the potential to be more impactful with her skillset as a scientist in industry and decided to transition her career from benchwork to manufacturing leadership. The iJOBS career talk “From Science to Scaled Impact,” led by Dr. Kamdar, presented a detailed roadmap of how she evolved into a global leader in cell and gene therapy manufacturing after her PhD. Her journey reflects the evolution of her identity from scientist to leader, marked by pivotal decisions at every stage of her career. This article will walk through her non-linear career path.
A Career Built Through Increasing Scope
“Decisions compound across a career”– Dr. Kamdar
Dr. Kamdar framed her journey as one of progressively expanding responsibilities, from academic research to enterprise leadership. Her career path to industry clearly reflects this progression:
- Academic Research – Rutgers University (2003–2011)
- Diagnostics R&D – BD Diagnostics (2012–2013)
- Cell & Gene Therapy Development – Hitachi Chemical (2014–2018)
- Global Tech Transfer – Celgene / Bristol Myers Squibb (2018–2020)
- Comparability Leadership – Bristol Myers Squibb (2020–2022)
- Product Stewardship – Bristol Myers Squibb (2022–2023)
- Technical Product Leadership – Bristol Myers Squibb (2023–2024)
- Enterprise MSAT Leadership – Bristol Myers Squibb (2024–2025)
- Independent Consulting – Stratovance Life (2025– present)
Dr. Kamdar emphasized the importance of developing your skills instead of chasing titles at the beginning of your career. Dr. Kamdar started as a technician, mastering fundamentals of molecular and cell biology before beginning her graduate studies at Rutgers University. As a graduate student, she focused on building core scientific abilities such as critical thinking, data analysis, scientific writing, and experimental design. She emphasized the idea of ‘learning how to think before learning how to lead,’ which reframes graduate training not as the end of expertise, but as the foundation for future leadership and long-term career growth.
This focus on skill development prepared her for her first industry experience at BD Diagnostics, where she began working in applied product development. Dr. Kamdar described this role as “how science can build a real product—the D of R&D.” In this role, she needed to consider industry constraints, including:
- Timeline
- Quality requirements
- Cross-functional collaboration
Once she gained these skills, Dr.Kamdar was able to make the transition from academia to industry.
Entering Advanced Therapies: Complexity and Regulation
At Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions, her work transitioned into highly regulated cell and gene therapy manufacturing–where complexity, regulation, and impact intersect. Dr. Kamdar began with hands-on therapeutic work and eventually took positions to lead and shape the strategic direction of the development of therapeutic options.
In her role at Hitachi, working on cell and gene therapy development, key responsibilities included CAR-T and cell therapy process development, GMP manufacturing transfers (the migration of a product’s manufacturing process), and CMC (chemistry, manufacturing, and controls) documentation for IND (Investigational New Drug) submissions. This process development is the foundation of CGT success, determining manufacturability, cost, and long-term product viability for the company.
At Bristol Myers Squibb, Dr. Kamdar shifted her focus from development to global execution and patient impact. Her work during this time included global tech transfers, process performance qualification (PPQ), and regulatory submissions supporting BLA (Biologics License Application) and MAA (Marketing Authorization Application) approvals, with a key realization being that execution risk directly affects patients and supply. As her career progressed into comparability and product stewardship roles, she got involved in strategic decision-making, became a trusted voice in high-stakes decisions, and developed global comparability strategies in alignment with current regulatory guidelines. This highlights her transition from performing technical work to owning outcomes and managing risk decisions across global systems.
In technical product leadership, her focus expanded beyond science into business alignment–aligning technical priorities with business strategy. At the enterprise level in MSAT (Manufacturing Science and Technology), Dr. Kamdar worked as a technical director, leading global implementation and tech transfer strategies. She was able to align technical priorities with business strategy to ensure the translation of technical tradeoffs into business decisions. This role emphasized scalability, consistency across manufacturing sites, and long-term sustainability, with a key takeaway being improved process robustness across multiple sites.
Lessons for PhD Students and Early Career Scientists
“Your PhD trains you to think — the application of that thinking is flexible.”—Dr. Kamdar
Dr. Kamdar emphasized that communication and influence on product development matter as much as experimental results. Often, students will get caught up in their tangible data, not realizing the importance of professional development in other areas. Leadership begins long before formal authority. However, many students only realize the need to demonstrate their potential once they enter the application process.
Dr. Kamdar’s talk highlighted that 1) every role prepares you for the next level of responsibility and 2) benchwork trains leadership far beyond the laboratory. PhDs can apply their expertise to a much broader scale, aligning science, manufacturing, and people to generate real, tangible products. Dr. Kamdar’s career exemplifies a clear and compelling pathway for current PhD candidates interested in pursuing opportunities in industry.
This article was edited by Junior Editor E. Beyza Guven and Senior Editor Antonia Kaz.