Series

Careers outside academia

Graduate students, early career researchers, or even established researchers may sometimes be unaware of opportunities other than the traditional path of academic research. This series aims to introduce them to exciting and rewarding careers that can be pursued outside academia. We bring you interviews with experts from diverse backgrounds who share their experiences from their non-academic journeys and tips on how to transition to these paths.

Part 01

Careers outside academia: Interview with Smita Jain

Dr. Smita Jain works as Associate Director, Academic & Government Relations (India), at Cactus Communications. She has a Ph.D. degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. She worked…
Part 02

Careers outside academia: Interview with Anirban Chakraborty

Anirban works closely with the academic leadership team to concretize the university’s academic and research administration. He supports framing policies/guidelines, developing implementation…
Part 03

Careers outside academia: How her PhD helps Woojin Lee give legal advice to bioscience companies

Dr. Woojin Lee has a PhD in Neuroscience from the Institute of Neurology, University College London, and a Masters degree in Oncology from the School of Molecular Medical Science, The University of…
Part 04

Careers outside academia: Interview with Gerlind Wallon

Gerlind Wallon is the deputy director of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). A German native, she graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry from Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts…
Part 05

Careers outside academia: How Jeong-In Yun turned challenges into opportunities and co-founded an R&D start-up

Read Jeong-In Yun's journey from being a PhD in biopharmaceuticals to working for a drug-synthesizing company as an organic synthesis researcher before finally starting a company of her own.

Part 06

Careers outside academia: How Shinichiro Takezawa’s PhD and diverse work experiences helped him become an entrepreneur

Shinichiro Takezawa completed his PhD from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo and went on to establish several companies. Learn more about his journey…

Part 07

Careers outside academia: How Shingo Ebata went from studying cosmochemistry to shaping national research policies

This is an interview with Shingo Ebata, a Ph.D. in cosmochemistry from Hokkaido University, about his journey from being an assistant professor to becoming a Senior Aide to the President and Vice…

Part 08

Careers outside academia: From experimental scientist to medical science liaison in the pharmaceutical industry - InSu Cho's story

This is a conversation with Dr. InSu Cho about his journey from being a PhD to becoming a medical science liaison (MSL) in the medical department of a pharmaceutical company.

Part 09

Taking the leap: A scientific editor shares her experience of moving from academia to industry

Have you wondered what could be awaiting you outside of an academic career? Meet Kaivalya Mudholkar, who has a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Freiburg University in Germany. Find…

Part 10

From academia to industry: The inspiring journey of a scientific editor

Meet Shivnetra Saha, a PhD in Chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, who went on to become a scientific editor after being a full-time researcher for a decade!