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Environmental Factor, June 2007, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Fellows Network at NIEHS Biomedical Career Fair

By Eddy Ball
June 2007

Professor and radio commentator Preston MacDougall used humor to get his message about communication skills across. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Representatives of biomedical organizations, such as Bob Miles of RTI, were on hand to answer questions and offer guidance for trainees curious about non-tenure track careers. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Fayetteville State University Provost and Vice Chancellor Juliette Bell, Ph.D. (left), and N. C. Central University Professor Seronda Jackson, Ph.D., joined panelists representing St. Augustine's College, Greenville Technical College and N. C. State University in the Teaching Careers Panel Discussion. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Fred Smith, M.D. (left), of the two-person consulting group PharmSupport told trainees of lessons he learned on the front lines as a consultant. His partner at PharmSupport, Chandra Louise, Ph.D. (right), Duke University's Karthik Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D. (center), and Sanford Garner, Ph.D. (behind Smith), of Constella Group also shared their insights with trainees. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Terry Green, Ph.D., moderated the Industry - Applications Focus Panel Discussion. Trainees heard from representatives of Clontech Laboratories, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, and BioServe Biotechnologies. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

The NIEHS Trainees Assembly (NTA) held the tenth annual NIEHS Biomedical Career Fair(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/nta/fair.htm on April 27 at the RTP Headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The all-day event attracted over 300 non-tenured, non-permanent scientists in training at NIEHS, EPA and several universities in the Carolinas. The NIEHS Office of the Scientific Director (OSD) was a major sponsor of the Career Fair, which featured a keynote address, company and organization exhibits, a networking luncheon and panel discussion sessions on public- and private-sector employment opportunities.

The annual Career Fair is a valuable service for pre- and postdoctoral fellows because it fills a void in most training programs, according to Friederike L. Jayes, D.V.M., Ph.D., chairperson of the 2007 NIEHS Career Fair Committee. Nationwide, only between 20 and 30 percent of postdocs end up in tenure-track academic careers, which is where most of the emphasis in their training is placed.

"We get a lot of technical and scientific training in the labs at NIEHS," Jayes said, "but in order to land a job [in today's market], we really need to improve on a lot of other skills and techniques as well.... It really hampers people trying to be competitive out in the field because they don't know what they want or how to prepare for it." The Career Fair helps to bridge this gap by exposing trainees to people working in different scientific careers - and by showcasing emerging occupations, such as medical science liaison.

Although some companies may have been recruiting at the event, Jayes emphasized that "this was not a job fair." Instead, the Career Fair focused on networking interactions for young scientists. Trainees had an opportunity to meet people from companies that have other than tenure-track jobs and gather information on the many different opportunities for scientists.

Throughout the day, trainees could ask people about how they prepared for the jobs they hold, what the jobs are like, what other skills and backgrounds are required, and, finally, what companies are looking for in applicants. "Since there are usually four panelists in each session, people get different points of view." Jayes explained. "Trainees also form networking connections during the Career Fair, which is something they can build on."

The Fair opened with a talk by Middle Tennessee State University Chemistry Professor Preston J. MacDougall, Ph.D. His keynote address, titled "Communicating Science: Can You Hear Me Now?" set the tone for the day. MacDougall underscored the importance for scientists to develop a facility for communicating what they do to non-scientists among the general public and in the organizations where they work. Young scientists, MacDougall said, need to develop as well the same kind of flexibility every worker needs in the years to come and learn to adapt to an evolving economy.

In addition to funding by NIEHS OSD, the Career Fair was made possible by support at the Event Sponsor level by the NTA, EPA and National Postdoctoral Association. Several biomedical firms and non-profit organizations also helped sponsor the event at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels.

Trainees interested in volunteering to plan next year's Career Fair can contact the NTA by e-mail(mailto:NTA@niehs.nih.gov.

Pramila Singh, Ph.D., D.A.B.T. is a former EPA postdoctoral fellow who now works for PPD, Inc. (Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc.). She participated as a panelist on the Contract Research Organization panel. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Thanks to Jane Chin, Ph.D., of MSL Institute and Gus Khursigara, Ph.D., of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, trainees became more aware of opportunities in the field of medical science liaison. Chandra Coleman, Ph.D., of Allergan Medical Affairs and Heather L. Vita, Ph.D., of UCB were also members of the Medical Science Liaison Panel. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

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