Five panelists listen to a question from a moderator as they sit in front of a room full of people.

BioCDC Panel Brings Life Science Careers into Focus for Graduate Students

By Kirsten Heuring Email Kirsten Heuring

Heidi Opdyke

Aleks Klimas put herself under the microscope for graduate students in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Biological Sciences interested in learning more about careers in life sciences. 

"Don't underestimate the power of casual connections; they don't need to be formal collaborations to open doors," said Klimas, imaging director for the Center for Advanced Biological Imaging Solutions (CABIS) at Carnegie Mellon and chief scientific officer for Magnify Biosciences.

Klimas was one of several speakers on a panel hosted by the student-run Bio Career Development Committee (BioCDC).

"BioCDC is bringing people together and building a stronger social and professional network," said Gordon Rule, professor and interim Head of the Department of Biological Sciences. "We want to offer a very welcoming environment for our Ph.D. students and provide on-going career advice, especially for non-academic careers. I'm really happy BioCDC stepped up to the plate to do that."

Ph.D. candidate Yangyang Liu helped revive BioCDC, which has been less active since 2020 because of restrictions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization is planning more events like panel discussions, targeted talks with impactful speakers and informal networking sessions.

"In conversations with other Ph.D. students, postdocs or undergrads I've seen people get confused about non-academic paths," Liu said. "BioCDC can demystify those options."

Along with Klimas, the August panel featured Chris Guerriero, research associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh; Joel Rosenbaum, senior bioinformatic scientist at UPMC; Amber LaPeruta, special lecturer in biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon; and Mary Ma, postdoctoral research associate at Carnegie Mellon.

The scientists answered questions and offered advice on how they arrived at their respective careers. Sandhya Kasivisweswaran, a Ph.D. candidate in microbiology and a member of BioCDC said it was great for students to hear from people in careers that they may be considering.

"It can be intimidating to think about what you want to do after your Ph.D. because of the number of options available," Kasivisweswaran said.

Carnegie Mellon and the Mellon College of Science recently hired Mindy Somerville, the first dedicated career consultant for MCS graduate students. Somerville will work with BioCDC on future events.

"Engaging with professionals from fields of interest is an excellent opportunity to bridge the academic mindset with the realities of the workplace," Somerville said. "The examples or stories a professional shares could cement the complexities of their classwork in a memorable experience described."

BioCDC is planning other events later this fall, including happy hours and speaker sessions. Events are open to students in biological sciences and related disciplines.