Alumni share career insights during graduate student symposium

Alumni representing local drug research companies visited with R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy students to discuss the different pathways to a career in drug development.

The Graduate Student Career Symposium was created to showcase diverse approaches and career trajectories within the pharmaceutical sciences. 

This year's guest speakers, Jordan Lancaster, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Avery Therapeutics, a 2016 graduate from the College of Medicine-Tucson, and Michael Abrahamson, PharmD, Director of Operations for Reglagene, a 2020 graduate from the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, provided valuable insights into their respective journeys. 

Dr. Lancaster began Avery Therapeutics as a small startup, and shared how the experience was akin to "parachuting out of an airplane and having to build your parachute as you fall." Today, the company has found success in developing first-in-class immunomodulatory therapeutics to redirect the immune system, which can be applied to diseases of aging, inflammation, and fibrosis. The company's lead therapeutic program is under development to address heart failure, one of the leading causes of death in the world.

As a College of Pharmacy student, Dr. Abrahamson was an intern for SinfoniaRx, spent time as a research associate, and worked in the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. He found his start at Reglagene through a Student Industry Networking event at BIO5. He met with representatives from different biotech companies and through a connection he made during the event, he was introduced to Reglagene and was hired on as a business development manager. 

Derrick Nwobodo, a second year pharmacy student, was intrigued to learn more about Dr. Abrahamson's career trajectory. 

"He didn't go through the typical pharmacy route," he said. " I thought he would have gone through a fellowship, but hearing how a connection led him to an industry job just widened my mind to the importance of networking. Pharmacy isn't a rigid career and you can really build off what you learn and find success." 

Students delved into different topics around business startups, including what to consider when building a scientific advisory board, the licensing process for a new discovery, how to talk to potential investors, and how a graduate student can get into business. 

"There's so much information and you can't learn it all in the classroom," Dr. Lancaster said. "Surround yourself with mentors and people who you aspire to be. This is an important mindset because it applies to your personal life, business life and your academic life." 

Graduate student Lisa Tran said she appreciated Dr. Lancaster sharing his journey and how he started the foundation of his company in graduate school. 

"When we think about the science we're doing in an academic lab, it's so incremental," she said. "We don't really know how long it will take to become impactful, so it was really great that he was able to use what he learned here to build something bigger and have an impact on health."