A Career in Academia: Rachel O'Neill

Rachel O’Neill, PhD
Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

Associate Professor Rachel O’Neill uses molecular genetic approaches to study centromere determinance; centromere function and evolution; small RNA biogenesis; transcriptional control and chromatin modifiers during stem cell differentiation; chromosome evolution; speciation and hybrid dysgenesis in several model systems, including human, mouse, marsupial and platypus. Using techniques such as transgenics, in situ hybridization, microarray screening, cell assays, and next-generation sequencing platforms, Rachel is addressing the hypothesis that small RNA forms mediate epigenetic controls. Recently, she has applied these techniques to study species-specific placental development and evolution with respect to retroelement load; transposable elements and retroviruses; and, the epigenetic effectors of gene expression and chromosome structure in models as diverse as deer mice and matrotrophic fish.

Rachel received her BA Hns at the University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D. at La Trobe University in Australia. She was later a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne Royal Melbourne Hospital, Princeton University and Rutgers University. She is now an Honors Faculty Fellow and serves as Director of the Next Generation Sequencing and Microarray Facility in the Center for Applied Genetics and Technology at the University of Connecticut.

For more information on a career in academia, click here.

Recap: Management Consulting: Using Your Scientific Mind to Solve Business Problems

The Science Alliance fall season kicked off last Monday, September 20 with an event highlighting an exciting career option for scientists outside academia. Management Consulting: Using Your Scientific Mind to Solve Business Problems, led by McKinsey & Company, aimed to demystify the profession through a series of talks and a hands-on case that simulates what consultants do. The three speakers from McKinsey also addressed how a PhD can transition into the field and why a science background is good preparation, and were able to speak from personal experience as all three obtained their doctorates in science before joining the firm as Associates.

This was my second collaboration with McKinsey; the first was when I was organizing career and professional development events at Harvard Medical School and I worked with McKinsey to offer the two-part “nanocourse” Consulting in the Life Sciences and Healthcare. My goal for the nanocourse was to provide field specific content and a hands-on experience that would (a) expose scientists to the kind of work professionals do outside of bench research and (b) help them make better-informed career decisions.

The nanocourse at HMS was very well-received and so I was delighted when they were willing to give a repeat performance for Science Alliance (I even snagged one of the consultants for a future career path video). The event at the Academy was equally successful, drawing over 100 students and postdocs from institutions across New York City. So what exactly did the attendees learn in the three hour workshop with McKinsey?

They, of course, heard what management consulting firms like McKinsey do: work with clients to solve complex business problems and devise innovative strategies for improvement. In the past century, organizations and industries have grown to the point that it is often necessary to seek outside counsel to understand questions like why a company is experiencing a profit loss or where the opportunities for growth lie. To help these companies, a team of consultants are tasked with gathering and analyzing information, prioritizing issues, and developing a set of recommendations, often in a short window of time.

Sound vague? That’s okay- it’s often difficult to grasp the concept of a profession so drastically different from what we have experienced. The best way to gain a clearer picture of management consulting is to try tackling a business case on your own. You can find practice cases on the internet and in bookstores, along with guides on how to crack them (a popular one is here). Business cases are the crux of the consulting interview so if you are serious about applying for positions, it is advisable to practice with others and to seek out student-run consulting clubs.

What about some examples? The following scenarios were presented during the workshop to get the attendees’ minds thinking like consultants. I. A coffee shop comes to you because it has started losing money about three months ago. What would you explore to get to the root of the problem? II. A pharmaceutical company wants to optimize their disease targets and needs a comprehensive analysis of the market. What are all the facets you might consider to be able to rank or categorize diseases in terms of their attractiveness as drug targets?

Seems interesting, but why do they want scientists? According to the consultants from McKinsey, scientists possess the top four skills that make a successful consultant: problem solving skills, communications skills, analytical and quantitative abilities, and scientific knowledge (particularly for dealing with cases in life sciences and healthcare). In most cases, though, you will not be applying the specific subject matter that engrossed your life for years while doing research; rather you will be using all of these other transferrable skills you developed in your training as a scientist.

Your interest has been piqued, now how do you get the job? Consulting positions are highly coveted and so the interview process is very competitive. In order to be a strong candidate for consideration, firms are looking for individuals who, aside from having the PhD after their name, can also demonstrate examples of achievement, leadership, initiative, and team work. Having these on your resume will help you get an interview; the rest lies in how well you perform on the case interviews and your “fit” with the company.

For more information about careers in business, click here.

From the PhD to Career Counseling- Laura Stark Malisheski

Laura Stark Malisheski, PhD

Office of Career Services, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University

Laura Stark Malisheski holds a PhD in neuroscience from Yale University and completed post-doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania before making a transition to career counseling. She has ten years experience counseling graduate students and PhDs through the challenges of graduate study and into careers, both within and outside academia. Laura specializes in working with those seeking academic faculty positions and those considering career transition beyond academia.

In addition to career counseling, Laura coordinates an extensive line-up of career events for graduate students and presents many career and professional development workshops. She has spoken at numerous professional conferences, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Microbiology, and the American Chemical Society and has written career articles for media outlets such as ScienceCareers.org and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

From the PhD to Patent Law- Ryan Murphey

Ryan Murphey, PhD
Patent Agent, Ropes & Gray

Ryan Murphey has a PhD in Genetics from Harvard University. Directly after graduate school, Ryan entered the Technical Advisor Program at the law firm Ropes & Gray in New York City. This program hires scientists after their graduate training to work as technical advisors in their Intellectual Property Group while attending law school. Ryan is currently a patent agent and has just completed law school at NYU. He is now preparing for the Bar exam in order to practice as a patent attorney.

For more information on careers in law, click here.

Career Path Video: From a Professor to Science Communicator- Beth Schachter

Beth Schachter, PhD
Science Communicator
Beth Schachter Consulting and Principal, Still Point Coaching & Consulting

Beth Schachter earned her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Southern California and was an Associate Professor at Mt Sinai Medical Center, where she performed NIH-funded research in endocrinology, neuroscience and cancer research.  After sixteen years spent as a principal investigator, Beth left academic research to pursue a career in science communications. She has been both a scientific editor at HMS Beagle, the first online biomedical magazine, and contributing writer at The New York Academy of Sciences.

Beth then started Beth Schachter Consulting, in which she writes about life science, biomedicine, and biotechnology for professional audiences. She has commissioned projects for institutions such as the Whitehead Institute (MIT) and Rockefeller University, and has had bylined articles in the NYTimes, Nature Biotechnology, Trends in Genetics, and The Scientist, among others. Beth is also a Principal at Still Point Coaching & Consulting, providing professional development for scientists and executives in life science research through seminars, workshops and one-on-one editing and coaching.

For more information on careers in science communications, click here.