What Is the NIEHS Biomedical Career Symposium?
The annual NIEHS Biomedical Career Symposium, now in its 28th year, is one of the largest assemblies of biomedical organizations and early-career scientists in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Targeting postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, the Career Symposium provides early-career scientists with an opportunity to explore a myriad of career options and create a contact network as they plan for their future careers in the biomedical sciences.
Symposium Date: April 21-22, 2026. Please save the date in your calendar.
Location: NIEHS, Research Triangle Park
Registration
Registration is open until February 28, 2026.
Keynote
Jason Kralic, Ph.D.
Biotech Entrepreneur and CEO
Neuropharmacologist and Co-Founder
Tellus Therapeutics Inc.
Keynote Address: Learning Your Way Forward – A Neuroscience Inspired Career Journey
Keynote Abstract: Scientific careers are often framed as linear trajectories defined by early decisions and long-term plans, yet neuroscience offers a far more empowering model for how complex systems—and people—develop. This keynote, Learning Your Way Forward – A Neuroscience-Inspired Career Journey, draws on core principles of brain development and learning, including plasticity, sensitive periods, myelination, synaptic pruning, prediction error, distributed networks, and metabolic cost, to reframe how early-career scientists can think about their professional paths. Rather than emphasizing conformity to historical norms of success, this talk argues that careers, like brains, develop through experience, feedback, repetition, and adaptation over time—and that difference, exploration, and risk-taking are often sources of strength rather than liability. Through examples from his own non-linear journey across academic research, translational science, entrepreneurship, and leadership in early-stage biotechnology, the keynote highlights how skills and judgment are built through use, how clarity often emerges through experimentation, and how moments of uncertainty or divergence can accelerate growth rather than signal failure. The goal of this lecture is to empower early career scientists to focus less on perceived obstacles or deviations from expectation and more on what drives their curiosity, sustains their motivation, and gives their work meaning—recognizing that fulfilling and impactful careers are learned forward and not planned in advance.
Bio: Jason Kralic, Ph.D., is a neuropharmacologist and life sciences executive who has spent over 20 years bridging scientific innovation with commercial development. He currently serves as the Co-Founder and CEO of Tellus Therapeutics, a Durham-based biotech firm focused on developing the first small molecule treatments for neonatal brain injury. Under his leadership, the company secured a $35 million Series A financing in late 2022 and has advanced its lead candidate, TT-20, toward clinical applications. Before launching Tellus in 2018, Kralic held high-level leadership roles, including Head of Neurosciences Business Development at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and director of technology innovation at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. His diverse industry experience also includes strategic licensing and business development positions at UCB Pharma, Schwarz Biosciences, and Opexa Therapeutics. In recognition of his impact on the field, he was named a Henri Termeer Fellow in 2023, joining an elite group of biotech leaders solving complex patient needs. Kralic holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed post-doctoral training at the University of Zurich.
Career Symposium Committee Co-Chairs
