QB3 Berkeley / Education / QB3-Berkeley Graduate and Postdoc Career Development / Career Development Resources / Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices

Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices

Liz Kellogg and Eva Nogales performing cryo-EM to determine the structure of the tau protein bound to microtubules, which has implications for understanding Alzheimer’s Disease. (Credit: Berkeley Lab)

The Career Field Resource pages describe the more common fields that employ scientists with advanced training, with a short list of websites which will help you understand the field. Each section has:

  • at least one or two articles to provide an overview of the field or career paths;
  • resources specific to Berkeley (access to opportunities you can pursue while a student or postdoc);
  • more general sources of information including professional associations, sites with industry news and career advice, and fellowship/job listings. 

Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices

When academics talk about a career “in industry” often the reference is to working as a researcher in the private sector. A bench research career is one option in these industries, however, there are many more possibilities to explore: from business development, to science communications, to regulatory affairs, to technical sales and support.

Berkeley Resources

  • PIEP – Postdoc Industry Exploration Program
  • Departmental collaborations and events, such as MCB Industrial Affiliates Program and Chemistry’s ChemX Conference
  • Career Center events, such as “Biotech Connect”
  • See also our section on Entrepreneurship
  • Panel discussion on “Future of Biotechnology” (Fall 2020). College of Chemistry faculty and alumni delve into the latest innovations and trends, impacts of AI and data science, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in biotechnology.
  • Interviews with Berkeley alumni
    • Gary Lee, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Senti Biosciences –  Learn about Gary’s experience and insights on how graduate students can prepare for a career in industry here 
    • Mike Holmes, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Ambys Medicine  – Mike reveals his pioneering work in genome editing techniques in gene therapy, and his path from student to industry leader in this interview.
    • Erin Dueber, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech. This interview describes Erin’s job at Genentech, and the role of exploration and risk taking in career decisions .
    • Rachel Haurwitz, PhD, President and CEO and a co-founder of Caribou Biosciences. “Choosing a career in industry: An interview with Rachel Haurwitz“
    • Timothy Day, PhD, CSO and co-founder, DNALite Therapeutics describes his career transitions – from Kansas to Berkeley to Mission Bay, and from Cal doctoral student to CSO in our exclusive interview.
    • Bilge Ozaydin, PhD, Director of the Strain Discovery and Development group at Pivot Bio, shares her scientific and professional journey which crossed the globe.

General Resources