Career Roundtables


In Year 1 of a Fellow’s appointment to the BMID Training Program , the program administration and Fellows meet to discuss the spotlight Fellow’s career goals, focusing on identifying the key questions and concerns the trainee has about this important decision.

In Year 2, the program administration invites guests to provide tailored advice to the spotlight Fellow in a virtual format.

All BMID Fellows and trainees from preceptor labs are invited to attend these career roundtables.

S. mutans gold labelled anti-Cnm
Gold-labeled Streptococcus mutans (Abranches-Lemos Lab)

Invited guests – four early stage academic investigators to discuss their perspective on challenges and joys of academic science

How do I decide if academia is too demanding and stressful?

1. Dr. Jonathan Abraham, Harvard Medical School
2. Dr. Joseph Hyser, Baylor College of Medicine
3. Dr. Helen Lazear, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
4. Dr. Matthew Vogt, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Invited guests -three well-established investigators who have moved successfully between academia and industry

If you leave academia, can you return?

1. Dr. Malu Tansey worked at a biotech company after her postdoc, then held academic positions at UT Southwestern, Emory, and UF
2. Dr. Eain Murphy worked at Cleveland Clinic, then became the head of a small pharma, and then back to academia at Upstate
3. Dr. Malcolm Winkler began in academia, then worked at Eli Lilly and moved back to academia at Indiana University

Invited guest – Dr. Sonja Rasmussen

What is a scientific job in a government position like?

Dr. Rasmussen discussed her fascinating career working at CDC for 20 years studying the genetics of birth defects to Zika virus to becoming the Deputy Director of the Influenza Coordination Unit and Acting Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response to Editor-in-Chief of CDC’s MMWR.

Invited guests – three former trainees from the Tibbetts lab who have moved on to a diverse set of industry jobs

What are industry positions like?

1. Dr. Emily Feldman, Senior Scientist II at Inscripta, Inc.
2. Dr. Brett Hoffman, Senior Scientist at Voyager Therapeutics
3. Dr. Whitney Bullard, Scientist I at Arcturus Therapeutics and Scientist III at Boehringer Ingelheim